And They Will Never Know
by wowhatahotgurl
Summary: A prolouge to a much longer series. Something is causing Vegeta to act very strange and the Z team is catching onto his act. Now, Vegeta will do anything to keep them from knowing his secret! CHAPTER 11 IS UP! NEED 5 MORE REVIEWS TO CONTINUE!
1. The needle

CHAPTER ONE!

**THE EARTH SHAKES**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DBZ...THATS PRETTY MUCH IT. **

**P.S. THIS IS A TEASER!!!**

Gohan's reflection resembled someone entirely new that day. As he straitened out his glossy tuxedo and checked his appearence thouroughly he wondred what it would be like to look into the mirror and see, not one, but two people. Today was the day; the day his other half would become whole.

"Are you sure you want your hair so gelled back like that?" His father, Goku sprang up from behind him. "I mean, Videl's probably not going to recognize you since you look like you just went swimming."

"Well we all can't have wild, 'blowing the the breeze' hair like your, dad." Gohan retorted. His hair, in his mind, looked absolutly fine. In fact, everything around him looked so perfect that he didn't want to touch a thing no matter what his friends said.

The groom's room was decently decked out with classical paintings and furniture that looked too delicate to the lightest touch. Videl had picked the classiest church for such an occasion on account that she really didn't _want_ Goku or any of the other men to ruin her wedding. Everything had to be as flawless and untouchable as humanly possible. Sort of like how she viewed her future marriage to be like.

The best men had been waiting patiently in the classical armchairs as the bridesmaids and other guests prepared themselves for hours on end. Gohan had to be the only 'girl' in the room that had to spend every moment on how he looked. Then again, he had 'the rest of his life' as an excuse.

"Actually, Gohan, i think that your dad's right," Krillen lazily said from his comfortable seat. "You look better when your hair's tossled a bit like your dad's or mine."

"Well, I'm not trying to make it look like _your_ hair," Gohan snapped the slightest bit out of nervousness. "I want it to look like _my_ hair!"

"What about _my_ hair?" Yamcha said sleeking his hair back.

A drop of burning, gray ash fell lightly on the arabian rug and Vegeta blew out an aggravated puff of smoke. "He said he wanted _his_ hair notpubic hair...jackass." Vegeta leaned on the side of the window pane waiting anything but patiently. After a long period of time listening to women converstaions he could no longer go without a smartass comment.

"Well, no body asked you..." Yamcha mumbled under his breath.

The room was quiet after that. Gohan went back to evaluating himself. The last chunk of ash heavily dropped to the floor and so did a cigarette butt, still shining brightly from the orange embers. Vegeta dug his glossy shoes into the butt and smeared the expensive carpet.

He and Gohan were the only souls that squirmed a single movement since the other boys of the Z team had found a comfortable chair to wait in for hours until the wedding started, which would probably be the next century.

With a hesitant, almost weak, budge, Vegeta moved from his spot and headed towards the restroom. No eyes followed him as he passed though the strange twitching to his fingers was highly distracting.

The final click of the door shutting was a release for him and he threw his arms to the sink ledge to steady himself.

"No, not here," he whispered to himself. Though his words were cold that day he had a warm heart for Gohan and Videl's love for each other. He couldn't let this minor inconvenience ruin their day.

Vegeta dug his hand frantically into his pocket and felt the prickle against his sweaty skin. He yanked the needle out and also grabbed the small bottle he kept in his coat. He filled the siringe to the half way mark and set it down for a few seconds to roll up his sleeve. The hard and anxious tapping of his fingers increased his already hasty blood flow. Vegeta snatched the needle and almost jabbed his forarm with its sharp tip.

Slowly, he let the liquid circulate into his veins and sink into his nerves where it would do its job just like everyday. There was no high or hallucinating like one would think. Just relief. As soon as the drugs lips touched his skin, there was no more pain and he could go back to his 'old' self for the rest of the day.

Vegeta let out a staggred sigh and smiled to himslef in the mirror. "It's gone," he said to his reflection.

Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open. Vegeta seized the bottle and needle and stashed them under this tux coat. His eyes were still red but that was the least of his problems as he awaited his unwelcomed visitor.

Goten stood at the door frame with an astonished, and yet, confused look on his face.

"Vegeta, what are you doing in here?" he said with suspicion.

Vegeta scoffed and pointed to the urinal. "What the hell does it look like, kid?"

Goten dared not even to raise an eyebrow even though he was almost sure that was not the case. "Well ok, sorry. Just wanted to tell you that everyone's coming out! Videl and Gohan are getting married in exactly one minute!

Goten raced out the door with no second glances at Vegeta. Once he knew it was secure, Vegeta pushed his 'medication' into his pocket and took a dissapointing glance into the brass-lined mirrors.

"You just love to lie, don't you?"

KEEP GOING? i HAVE SOME CRAZY IDEAS FOR THIS ONE! I HAVE TO GET SOME REVIEWS BEFORE I UPDATE THOUGH. TELL ME HOW IT IS AND HOW YOU LIKE IT!!

P.S. HIS SECRET IS NOT THAT HE'S ON DRUGS...DUH! LOL


	2. An Unwanted Interruption

**An Unwanted Interruption**

**Thank you all for the reviews! i will keep going on with the story (unless its so bad you tell me to effing STOP! lol). If you all have any ideas, i'd be glad to somehow work them into the story to make it better!**

The uncomfortable wooden backs of the pews dug into his spine and made him twtich in pain. Bulma put a resting hand on his and tried to stop him from squirming so much. Honestly, if he could take a punch going a thousand miles per hour, then he could handle a church seat.

Vegeta tried to concentrate as well as everyone else but when i came to saying vows, he just wanted them to get it over with.

White lilys and roses spilled from every corner and step. Stained glass poured onto the tiles of the floors to cast a lovesick pattern on each square. Right in the middle of this perfection stood two perfect couples. Gohan and Videl never stirred away from each others eyes as they read off everything they promised to do for the rest of their lives.

They take so long to say each...and...every...word, Vegeta thought to himself. He looked around the church to find out how the other guests were concentrating so well. Not to his surprise, some had taken the ceremony lightly and fell asleep in the middle of one of the priest's monotonous speeches...Goku.

When Vegeta turned his attention back to the couple, Videl hadn't even spoken a word of her vows yet. Didn't they know how precious time was? He went back to his thoughts.

If I had that much time, who knows how much I could've gotten out. He had that chance before. Still, I remember how much time i wasted on going as slow as they did...not knowing that one day...time would be up

He rested his spine back down on the wooden spikes of the pew. His head turned to his one and only, Bulma. Yet, as one might've thought, he wasn't thinking of _her_ at all.

I never told her all I wanted to say.

What use was it to think of the past? As he stared into the sunkissed faces of Gohan and Videl, he reminded himself that his _new_ life was what mattered. To everyone he knew on Earth, this was his only home and the only friends he had ever known.

Vegeta's old life was faceless; with no name, and with no importance. They didn't know her name, they didn't know her appearence, they didn't know how happy he was with her before his old self died. They abandoned the fact that Vegeta had the capability to love before Bulma.

She was part of a huge secret that they would never know. His thoughts cast her away. That memory had nothing to do with this current problem.

A sudden flick of his finger occured and he started tapping on the wood rapidly. He wasn't anxious to get the vows over with, Vegeta, actually didn't know of this strange spasm.

"Vegeta! Stop it!" Bulma hissed through her sealed lips.

He slapped his other hand on his shaking one, but to his surprise, his other arm started to shake as well. He stuffed his hands into his pocket but he could still feel the rattle under the inside velvet.

"Dad, are you ok?" Trunks whispered from his right side. "Your elbow keeps hitting me."

Vegeta moved over towards Bulma a bit just to make his son happy until a bolt of lightning ran through him.

He gave a quick gasp and clutched his chest. The feeling of large steak knife tearing through his flesh caught him off gaurd. Trunks put a hand on his back as Vegta lurched over in pain. Bulma saw him from the corner of her eye.

"Hun, hun, what's wrong?" she asked as quiet as possible. After all, this was the most important part of the wedding.

"I do," Videl said sweetly through her suger lips. Gohan couldn't help but smile with astonishment that she would actually see him through. The preist took another long, unnecessary pause and then parted his lips to speak.

"If anyone knows of a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

The knife just broke through the skin in his back and the pain entered his entire body. The blood running through his veins suddenly resembled that of tiny needles scraping the inside of his flesh. He had to get out of there before he could ruin their utter perfection.

Vegeta jerked up from his seat while the peace was held throughout he entire audience. Gohan couldn't help but glare at the imposer of his wedding. But as he saw who it was, the searing rage in the back of his mind asked a thousand questions of why.

After a while of others glaring at him, Vegeta finally broke from his painful halt and walked solmnly out of the church. Eyes wandered out with him. It was strange how when he just started up walking, he acted and seemed, like nothing was wrong at all.

"Wow what a dick!" you could hear Yamcha's voice from across the room.

Goku woke with a start. "WOH! WHAT? what's going on? where am i? oh...Happy Birthday Gohan!"

Vegeta sought refuge in the best men's restroom where he had been before. Out of his mouth spewed a layer of green slime and chunks that were unidentifiable. It wasn't that he had too much to drink. Something was terribly wrong. Countless times, he denied what he knew was absolutly right.

He manged to find the strength to twist the sink knobs and wash down the vomit with water; but the liquid that came out before he reached the sink, had burned a hole through the wine-red carpet and lit a stream of smoke from where it lied.

Yes, he was right. What came out was a mixture of acid and blood. Exactly what the veins, of his monster-like self, were made of.

Goku's blood wasn't like that, nor Trunks', Goten's, or Gohan's.

"So when are you going to stop all of this?" A deep voice came from behind him but he couldn't stand up to see who it was. He reasoned that it was his subconcious talking to him again.

Just then, the figure of the shadows stepped out and revealed his green skin.

Great...the Namek...

"I'm busy, you god damned chode." Vegeta gurgled under his breath.

"I can see that." Piccolo almost chuckled. "How mush worse has it gotten? Two times a day? Five times a day? Those shots aren't going to stop this, you know."

Vegeta lifted himself up and used the porcelin sink as a crutch.

"What the HELL do U know?" he tried to put up his touch act.

"About you? ALOT! But what is one person?" Piccolo scoffed back.

"Who cares if anyone knows? What are you going to do about it? What is ANYONE going to do about it if they know? The only way that knowledge could ever help someone is if they knew when I was going to hurl so they can take a step back!"

"Vegeta, the only reason I can to you is to remind you that you have to tell them soon!"

"Why?!"

"Because...you're dying."

A slight pause came with those last few words. Vegeta hardly had the strength to left his eyes to meet the Namek's. He lowered his head and leaned a little more onto the sink. With a soft, stubborn sigh, he spoke again.

"...No...no i'm not."

His weak attitude was so pathetic that Piccolo actually felt a ray of compassion hit him. He took a step closer to his 'friend' and tried to stare him down with all seriousness.

"Well, I'm no scientist," he said plainly as he could. "But i can tell when someone's life is being stripped away from them."

Vegeta still shook his head slowly. "No...no..." he whispered to himself.

Piccolo tried a different apparoch. "Wouldn't it at least be nice for them to know that there used to be a different side of you? Hell, you just walked out of a sacred ceremony. You can't deny that a lot of the Z team thinks you are the biggest dick in the world!"

"I know, I heard it as i was coming out." Vegeta pivited around to face the mirror. Another constant reminder of his past besides Piccolo always nitpicking at his side. He could see the reflection of the Namek staring back at him.

"There used to be another man in that mirror," Piccolo said sternly. "And still, no one knows about him, not even your family!"

"Oh, cause _that's _a good idea!" Vegeta snapped. "Hey kids! You're father's a fake! Why don't you give him a hug?! I can't do that! They know me now."

"They know you as a blood-thirsty monster who followed Freeza around and took the organs out of anyone that looked at you wrong!"

"They accepted him didn't they?"

Piccolo had nothing to say. Vegeta went on.

"Who is to say that the man before Freeza was any better?"

Vegeta thought that he had finally snatched all remarks away from the smart-assed Namek. How could that green son of a slug still find ways to make him tick?

"He was kinder..." Piccolo added. "And he would never hurt anybody...and..." It was hard for Piccolo to use sentimentle words, especially in front of the Prince. "And...he could love..."

Vegeta cocked his head to look at him from the corner on his eye.

"Stop living in the past, Namek," he spat coldly. "Freeza destroyed him a long time ago, and _made_ me...into the man I today. I said those exact words to **everyone** a long time ago."

Vegeta slipped out from the conversation's grip and swung the door out for him to escape. The bathroom door shut and Piccolo eyed the swinging door just incase he came back. Just as if Vegeta were still there, Piccolo spoke.

"Yeah, but no one knew you were literal about it."

**Please review and tell me what you think! Each chapter will get more and more exciting, i PROMISE! i just have to set the story up. Tell me if it's confusing at all! i'd LOVE TO GET FEEDBACK! and if you have any ideas..TELL ME! **


	3. Too Much of a Sorry

**Too Much of a Sorry**

Something inside him was telling him that the large, cavernous walls of his home would keep him safe from all the thoughts and humiliation. Whatever it was, it was wrong.

Vegeta reached the dim-lit kitched and rested his palms on the dark, marble island counter. He leaned onto them back and fourth while trying to shake his past coversations off him. Lately, Vegeta had been having a hard time trying to control the things that wouldscurry amongst his mind.

The refuge of his home was merely a place to plot out his next move. It was a safe environment away from their judging eyes. His last impression hadn't been the best so he had to come up with another lie to tell his family once he faced them again.

'This is the last lie, I promise!' he swore to himself. He knew, though it would never be his last. So close he had been to revealing his past to his present in so many cases, but nowadays, the more he waited, the more he would sucumb to fear.

Every great warrior had a weakness or something that made them fall to their knees with mercy. To Vegeta, that was truth. He was afraid to show what was real all the way to the point when he couldn't even admit reality to himself.

Everything real was so far away now that he had a wonderful family and was part of the greatest fighting team in the universe. One would think that was a pretty real world to live in, right?

Not to Vegeta. All events occuring after that day and the person that had been reborn into, what his family and friends knew...was all fake.

Vegeta bent his head down to gaze into the splattered paint inside the swirling marble. In the glossy reflection, he could see the outline of his face. The more he stared into it, he soon came to see the person that he had to look back at every day ...the imposter.

"Who the hell are you?" he whispered to it.

There was nothing he could do to change what he saw. And so, he would put o his mask once more to get through another day. Or at least, for the reception.

He had to prove that he wasn't _that_ much of an ass.

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A strait shot of rice was thrown upon his face and Gohan woke from his daydream with a start. Maybe if he had been paying attention, he would've noticed the fact that he was taking the greatest walk of his entire life.

He saw the long strand of people gathered at the two sides. They stuck they're heads out from over the velvet ropes and threw pounds of rice in the air. That's when he shamfully realized that Videl was clutching his arm.

He would've noticed the happiest ending to his brand new begining but he could not get Vegeta's actions out of his mind.

Why would he walk off like that without saying a word? Though he didn't entirly mean it, he HATED Vegeta for straying his thoughts away from the only person that sould matter at the moment.

Gohan looked to his side to meet her eyes and her silky, bright face turned to see him. Her eyes shone with great excitment and her perfect pearly whites peaked out from her lips. He gave a tight lipped smile back at her.

Then his gaze was distracted when he saw his entire team waving and throwing rice at them. They all cheered and smiled at the couple. Gohan waved as he passed them. He was so lucky to have that kind of support.

Just as the two went by, Oolong stuck his head out from the many feet.

"Ok, I have ten bucks on two weeks!" he shouted. "Who wants to raise it?!"

Chichi glared at Yajirobie who rised up another twenty.

"You two are pigs!" she snapped. "Just look at them! they're so happy together! My baby is growing up!" a small tear rolled down her cheek.

Her tears seized and she scanned around the group of guests to find her husband and the father of the groom. "GOKU? GOKU! COME SEE YOUR GODDAMN SON RIGHT NOW!" she screamed.

Just then, Goku popped up by her side with a large tray full of fish. His mouth was stuffed to his lips full of them. #18, who was beside them, couldn't help but notice the foul smell coming from her friend.

"Oh, god, what is that smell?" she asked with disgust. "Goku, where did you get those fish?"

"From the fountain, THEY'RE FREE!!" he muffled.

#18, threw up in her mouth a little bit.

Another voice came from their side. "Are you guys going to the reception?"

Tien was almost invisible to the rest of them as he stared off into the sky. Krillen wasn't seen before also but for obvious...veritcal...reasons.

"Of course we're going!" Krillen replied. "Why wouldn't we?"

Tien finally looked towards them. "Well, shouldn't we check to see if Vegeta is ok before going?"

The three of them were quiet.

"He's fine!" #18 retorted. "If he comes, he comes. And if he doesn't, well, that's _his_ problem!"

"I tottally agree with you babe!" Krillen yipped. "Vegeta will come when he's ready! We should just do what my babe says and not worry about it...um...because she's so smart!!"

Tien raised an eyebrow and bent down to his friend's side.

"You just want some tonight, don't you?" he whispered.

"If you're my friend...you'll encourage her."

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_"Vegeta, I can't have this anymore..." she whimpered. _

_Vegeta's chest tightened up and he could feel the emotions beating off of her tears. There had to be reason behind this._

_"Why?" he asked quietly._

_It took time for her to answer. "Because, there might be a chance that I will never wear it." _

_"Don't talk like that."_

_"You know I'm right..." She stiffened her upper lip and tried to stare him down. In this time, she had to be strong. _

_"If anything happens to me...to us...give it to someone else you love."_

_"There will be no one else."_

_"Just...please...promise me."_

_She didn't really want to give it back. He could see right through her. Unfortunately, he could't see why she would suddenly act like this. Something was wrong, or something was going to be wrong. He could feel it in her kiss. _

_"I promise..."_

Years had past after that conversation but there had been many times where he would try to keep his promise.

Vegeta sat on his empty bed inside the wide walls of his bedroom. He ran the sparkling strand through his hand and watched the stones light up at the touch of light. Their shine never faded. Though, he wondered how long they really would last if they hadn't been loved by another being beside himself.

One time, he struck up the conversation with his most recent one and only.

_"Bulma, what would you think if I gave you a piece of jewelry that used to belong to someone else?"_

_She didn't hesitate. "Vegeta, you know I hate hand-me-downs."_

He loved her, but giving her something that would mean nothing to her was a waste.

Actually, he recently found it harder to take his newly beloved seriously. As he pondered at the edge of their bed, he realized that even when she was in the room with him, it still seemed as empty as it did now.

For a couple of months, she would look right through him and even when they laid side by side in the comfort of the same sheet, he could've sworn that he was sleeping alone.

He couldn't let this one fade off as well. Bulma may have fallen in love with a phoney but she fell in love at the least. How much better off would he be if he let her go just like the one before her?

His dark, coal eyes gazed deep into the pure, clear waters of the stones. It was time that they recieved the appreciation they so long deserved.

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Little Trunks scampered throught he long islands of white tables and tiptoed over the overturned glasses of champagne. Through the sour smell of alcohol in the reception room, he knew his best friend was lying on the floor somewhere.

He was damn right.

"Goten!" he found the small child sprawled out on the floor from the over excessive drinking he had gotten a hold of. Trunks poked him with his foot a couple of times when he recieved no answer.

"GOTEN!" he shouted again.

"What?! What?! Don't touch me Michael!"

"Goten, get up! You're mom's looking for you! Videl's opening her wedding presents!"

"Trunks baby!" he now hear his name being called from the other side of the room. Trunks took the small hand of his best friend and dragged him to the other end of the dim-lit room. The reception was too large for pint-sized rascles to wander about and through the hundreds of feet, Trunks was already getting lost.

Finally, Trunks found the gateway of legs that stood around the woman of the moment.

Bulma stood with her girlfiriends with another glass of boos in her hand. She almost didn't notice he son trying to pry her legs away to get a better view.

"Mom, move! I want to see the presents!" he squirmed.

This got Bulmas attention and she looked down in surprise. "Oh, honey, there's nothing to see. It's all grown up stuff like plates and silverwear. I just wanted you to get Goten out of the liquor cabinets."

Trunks groaned and plopped down on the red carpet. The reception was carrying on for too long for his small mind to take and Goten was being no help when falling asleep on his shoulder the whole time.

"OPEN MINE! OPEN MINE!" Master Roshi yelled at her side. Videl gave a weak smile to the old man and picked up the poorly wrapped package from her side.

She fumbled around with it before opening it up so she could prepare herself for embarassment.

"Wow," she awkwardly giggled. "I wonder what this could be?"

Her fingers very slowly tore off the paper. With a delicate lift, she opened up the box and stuck her hand inside to unravel a long strap of leather. She scanned it over and over again with an bumbling look on her face.

"ITS A WHIP FOR SEX!" he cheered.

Videl didn't have to speak. The master always knew how to surprise her.

"Videl?" Dende called to her from one of the reception hall doorways. His small voice only cried for her but the whole team turned his way to see what the news was. Dende blushed a bit from all the attention.

"Um...sorry to interrupt but you have another package at the door. Do you want me to bring it in?"

"Sure!" Videl happily cheered. "The more, the merrier!"

Dende revealed a small, perfectly wrapped gift from behind his back. He walked solemnly over the crowd and handed over the gift in a fragile manner. The small Namek gulped as Videl placed her fingers on the box. She was inquisitive on his behavior.

"Dende, who is this from?"

Everyone was quiet and it didn't help that the circle was enclosed around him. His voice trailed off into the air with no audible tone.

"Speak up, son!" Hercule interrupted. "It better not be a secret admirer or I'll have to open up a can of whoop-ass!"

"Daddy, calm down." Videl hushed. "Who is it from, Dende?"

He took a deep breath and said instantaneously, "Vegeta! It's from Vegeta."

A hush went over the crowd, but not enough for a second to go by. Whispers started scattering around the group and Videl then started to look at the present with a different look in her eye.

Her blue ovals searched it with curiosity. She then felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Videl looked to her left to see her husband's earnest expression almost screaming at her to open it. abandoning the constant hissing through her friends lips, she ripped the paper from the parcel.

There came a thick, black, velvet box with gold lining trailing the sides of the opening. Her breath was snatched away from her and she almost had no strength in her fingers to pry the two halfs open.

She never precisly remembered opening it but, just like that, there it was. A large, sparkling, diamond necklace sprang forth at her. The many strands and circling loops trailed the entire box and decorated it like newly fallen sowflakes.

Videl realized that she held millions of dollars in her hands and she was almost afraid to carry it any longer. The shine from the box caught everyone else's eye and they no longer needed to wonder what could be in the box.

"Oh my god, Videl!" Gohan's voice shook.

Everyone's gasp was circulating around the room and an abrupt feeling of shame came over her body and gave her chills. She snapped the box shut and placed it to the side.

"That's enough presents for one night..." she ended.

The dining hall cleared except for the thick clouds of cigar smoke swirling abou the room. Krillen, Yamcha, Tien, Yajirobie, Master Roshi, and Oolong sat at at the deck which was elegantly decked out in bright, sparkling lights, lanterns and decorations.

"Wow, was anyone as drunk as I was?" Yajirobie chuckled.

"I hope I was intoxicated," Yamcha retorted. "That present that Videl got from Vegeta, what that hell?!"

Krillen puffed out rings of smoke and leaned back into his lawn char. "I know what you mean, that caught me off gaurd too."

"But it's so rude though!" Yamcha couldn't stop bashing. "I mean, first he just waltzes out of her ceremony and now he embarasses her like that in front of all her friends!"

"I don't think he was trying to embarass her, Yamcha," Tien reasoned. "You have to look at it from another angle. Maybe he was just trying to say that he was sorry."

Oolong looked up into the deep sky and actually had a serious thought.

"I'm going to have to agree with Yamcha in some degree, Tien. Something has to be up. That was just too much of a sorry."

**Thank you for all your reviews! I know this took me a while to post but I'm really busy living. lol! I also had a bit of writers block so just give me more reviews to see if I still have my touch! Next one is a doozy! **


	4. The Goodnight Kiss

**Finally!! Thank you for all the reviews and I hope you like this one! It's getting a little more drama-y! **

**Special thanks to:**

**The Angel that Fell**

**2. Chibigurl734**

**Twotoe**

**For the reviews and favorites!**

…**and….BEGIN! **

**The Goodnight Kiss**

Bulma stumbled on the cobble stone steps. Twisting her ankle every time her high heel clacked on the street, she struggled to stay up. She plunged her hand into her purse and rummaged around for her keys. It was hard to feel for it blindly since she had lost all feeling in her skin.

"Come on, woman," she huffed under her breath. "You can do this…you CAN drive."

"Bulma, What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" There came a voice not too far behind her.

Bulma whipped around and looked back at the reception building. Her hand shielded her eyes from the bright decorative lights that strung from every inch of the walls. A shadow was coming from the door and she tried to recollect any past memory so she could put a voice and face together. The sour taste of alcohol clung to her breath and was not making it easy for her.

"Who's there?" she yelled. "Don't you DARE rape me!"

Yamcha chuckled deep into his chest and gave her a warm smile. He loved her when she was in this delusional state. Yamcha thought she always looked adorable when she forgot things.

His shadow stepped out of the decorative glare and he came nose to nose with her so that she could get the best view. Her eyes looked up to him and she squinted at his blurred face. Finally, she let out a sweet, drunken sigh and smiled.

"Oh, Yamcha, it's you!" she innocently chuckled. "I'm so glad to see you I…I…" a pound of rock toppled onto her back and weighed her down like an anchor into the sea. She splashed into Yamcha's arms where he caught her just by the last second.

She pressed herself into his chest and rest there while he looked down at her dumbfounded and confused. Like a reflex, he looked around the terrace to see if anyone had seen this mistakable affair.

"Good God, Bulma!" he cracked within his coarse whisper. "We got to get you home before anyone sees you like this."

Yamcha swiftly graced her up in his bulky arms and carried her in the direction of his car. Her firm, smooth skin brushed upon him and he could already smell her delicate scent creep up from her neck and disguise the sickening smell of boos.

With all due respect towards her new life, he missed her dearly and wished she could feel him lifting her up from her troubles. The only gratitude she showed while he briskly walked into the parking lot was a few mumbles.

He could pick out every word, though.

"I have to get home…" she mumbled softly. "I have to…I have to see…Vegeta."

His knees caved in with each word.

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The sharp tone of the telephone barricaded his thoughts and ran through the walls of the cold, empty house. It had been the sixth time that his conscious sleep had been interrupted.

Vegeta had the telephone resting by his hand as he lay with his back sunken deeply into the couch. The pulses from the shrill rings tickled his hand and made it almost impossible for him to not pick it up and at least check the caller ID.

Videl was trying desperately to reach out to him. All of the team was. If only they knew that he was not ready to answer yet. That day may never come.

His family would be home soon. The night was growing old and so was he. He knew that they would certainly return to the same Vegeta that they had last seen, but that small ray of light that he had shown to Videl and the others might've changed their perspective for good.

It was a bold move to make, to uncover a small fragment of his mask, but he had to reveal all he could before his charade became permanent and sucked the life right out of him.

Vegeta's veins started pulsating again. The thumps sent painful shoots up his arms and almost popped out of the thinly covered skin. Vegeta bared his teeth and seeped in a long, hissing breath.

Tomorrow he would find out how long it would be for him. Tomorrow, while Bulma was at her meeting, he would discover for himself how long it would take for this monstrosity to take over him completely and break him down until he diminished.

Vegeta clenched his eyes shut as he heard the slam of a car door from outside.

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Zooms from outside the car window vibrated the entire sports car. Bulma rested her head on the window pain with her mouth gaped open. With her luscious body draped over the car seat, it was all Yamcha could do to keep his eyes on the road.

Who really deserved her? He asked this question to himself many times. Night upon night, he would look into the mirror and realize for a fact that even he did not deserve a woman like Bulma. The luckiest even that ever happened to him was when he had the chance to have her. He blew it. He deserved it.

The only bug that crawled through his brain and made him shudder was the fact that she chose Vegeta, of all people, before anyone else. Who could be anymore unworthy than him?

Bulma chose a wretched being, a horrible friend, a dead-beat father, and a murderer. At times he would even try to look at the bright side of Vegeta and his relationship with his one true love, but there wasn't any.

He treated her horribly and tonight was a perfect example. Never would he have an excuse for the way he treated her and her family. If only _he_ was the father he-

Yamcha's thinking suddenly came to a pause as a car almost graced the left side of the red-painted door. He swerved to the right while the loud blare of a horn zoomed passed.

Concentration was the key. Besides, he started thinking crazy again. There was no way he could right the wrong that Vegeta had made in the Z team.

Bulma's body started rustling and her eyes blinked open.

"Mmm…Vegeta?" she mumbled.

Yamcha twitched. Her eyes opened wider and then squinted at the bright yellow lights of the cars outside.

"Damn, where am I?" she said panicked

"You're fine," Yamcha mistakenly snapped. He calmed his thoughts. "You just had too many to drink at the reception so I'm giving you a ride home."

She sighed with relief. "Oh, thank you so much, Yamcha! I hope I didn't miss anything…or become pregnant…SO! Did Vegeta ever show up? I have to know! I was worried about him all night! Did he see me like this?"

For the smart person she was, Bulma asked way too many questions.

"Nope," Yamcha grunted. "No body ever saw him since the wedding. He never came to see you."

"Good, I'd rather not see him at all anyway."

Yamcha was surprised at this. Was she still drunk? She didn't sound like it.

"In fact, I'm just going to go home and not speak to him at all, just like every night."

Now was the time to ask questions. Cautiously, Yamcha asked.

"Is everything ok with you two?"

"No!" she said almost a little too quickly. "It's been going downhill for a long time, now. I'm not sure what to do!"

"Is he hurting you?" Yamcha interrogated.

"No, of course not," she calmed him. "He's avoiding me. And whenever I do see him, he always looks like he's holding back from hurting me. I don't think he can stand me or the kids anymore."

Silence filled the car and Yamcha dared not to speak out of sympathy for her thoughts.

"We never even touch anymore." Bulma sniffled. "When I try, he pushes me away. Once, I snuck in a touch on his forehead and he was burning hot. When I offered to take him to hospital he just said 'leave it, there's nothing anyone can do for me.'"

"What do you think he means by that?" Yamcha soothed her tears.

"He's given up," she blurted. "He's just not trying to make anything work anymore, especially our family."

The car stopped. Yamcha, all of a sudden, realized that he had taken her all the way home without even concentrating on where he was going. They were now in the long pavement of the Capsule Corp. driveway.

Though at their destination, Bulma didn't even try getting out of the car. She was still weak in the knees. Warmth grew between then and before they knew it, instead of walking away from each other, they had somehow moved in closer.

"Vegeta is just waiting to die and get away from us," Bulma whispered. "And when that happens, there'll be no one to hold me anymore."

There was no way he could right the wrong that Vegeta had made with Bulma…

…but he could try as he and Bulma made a forbidden, passionate kiss.

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"Daddy? DADDY?!" Bulla cried as she barged into the Capsule Corp. door. Trunks followed close behind her with a painful trudge. He watched his younger sister scamper to the family room while he collapsed onto the kitchen table. His face was twisted with anger. His mother's behavior was unacceptable that night.

Bulma had abandoned her son and daughter for a couple of wine coolers and champagne, only to leave Trunks responsible for keeping the little one in line. Trunks tired not to blame her, though. She was seeing tough times around here.

He buried his head in his hands and took deep, solid breathes in hope that his mother would find him there still awake.

Vegeta, still on the couch in the family room, pretended not to here them coming in. It pained him, however, to not answer to his little girl's sweet voice calling out to him. With an intuition like hers, she could find him in a heartbeat anyway.

Her footsteps drew nearer behind him and he quickly shut his eyes and wrapped his sleeves along his arms. He couldn't be caught with any holes inside him. Bulla finally came to the clearing of the family room where her breath stopped short. Her head perked up to look over the back of the couch so that she could spy the smallest evidence of her father.

Reaching her view along the couch, Vegeta found no use in hiding from her so he let out a small grumble. "What is it, Bulla?" he said with this eyes still shut tight.

Bulla smiled ear to ear and made herself room on the couch. Vegeta gradually lifted himself up from his sleep before Bulla could land on him. Without consent, she barricaded him with the biggest hug. Her smile grew wider as her hands folded around him.

"I missed you today," Bulla sweetly whispered. Vegeta saved a small smirk as well while she wasn't looking. Then she asked the death question. "Why did you leave?" Her grasp floated away and he looked down at her with a blank face.

"Your father…needed a time out," he replied softly.

She asked no questions. "Well, that's ok. Everyone needs those now and then." Her patience was incredible. "You like time outs, don't you?" she giggled. "You're always taking them. And I know when you want one 'cause you get all jittery, like this!"

Bulla started dancing silly in her place and giggled hysterically. She stopped after minute and looked back up at him. He was still smiling down at her. "You get angry too…" she said now with a solemn tone.

Vegeta drew in a deep breath and hoped she wouldn't look deep into it. The less she asked, the more she wouldn't know. At times, he thought that she was blind to all the fighting that threatening he did with her mother and brother. Now he saw her bravery and realized that no matter how crazy it was around here, that this a little girl, wouldn't turn away from him.

Bulla, his little girl, was the only one. She was the only one who broke his wall down and saw him for what he was before. She didn't know it yet. As he gazed down at her, he found it almost unbelievable that, out of everyone in the universe, it was a little girl that could break the beast, could see him through, and could set him free. One day, she was going to save him.

But Bulla would never know that she had the power to do that.

Vegeta smiled even wider as she looked up at him with a bigger grin. Then, something strange fell from his face.

"Daddy…why are you crying?" she whispered.

His mask crumbled before her.

"Because you're the only one who can see me."

Another slam of the front door came but this was upset and enraged. Bulma came through the door in tears with her face soaked in red blotched.

She gulped down her gasps and tried desperately to keep from her family seeing her. It didn't work. Vegeta quickly sprang up from the couch and headed towards the front door where Trunks was already trying to soothe her.

"Mom, mom, what's wrong?" Trunks asked frantically.

Vegeta appeared at the opening of the entrance room and took in the horrid sight of his wife. She finally caught sight of him and gave him a cold glare.

"You're what's wrong, Vegeta."

Trunks looked back to see his father's face dumbstruck. The wind was knocked out of his stomach and he felt like a rock was thrown strait to his chest. A tiny breeze blew behind him and he looked down to see Bulla clinging to his pant leg.

Bulma failed to acknowledge her. She kept staring him down in search for his plea.

"Why don't you tell us, Vegeta," she said coldly. "If you really love this family, then prove it. Why are you hiding from us?! Why are you ignoring the only people who love you?! Why, Vegeta, why?!"

Vegeta's eyes were wide and there was no way he cold even blink at her. He couldn't tell her…not now.

"What's the secret that you so badly not want us to know?"

**Goodness! Took me a while to get _that_ one! Sorry, I've been busy with the holidays and haven't had any time to update. Tell me how you liked this chapter and, if you have any suggestions for what you want to happen, just tell me! I need five more reviews to continue!**


	5. Evidence

**The Evidence**

**How pissed are you that I kept you waiting this long? Haha! Actually, I HAVE been working on it a lot but I've also been working on the other chapters so that they could fit. Plus I'm adding more drama by the second! So ya…. Get off of my back. I promise that the next chappy will be in really soon (like next week). HOPE U LIKE IT!**

**just so we get this strait: Bulla is 2, Trunks and Goten are 12, and Videl is pregnant with Pan. In my last chapter, I accidentally said that Trunks DROVE Bulla home….to fix that…let's say he drove a Moped….PROB SLOVED!**

The striking blue eyes stung him painfully as Bulma stared Vegeta down. Her hands were firmly placed on her hips and she barely moved a muscle. She stood her ground securely. Truth be told, he was finally scared of her.

"I know your secret Vegeta…" she spoke through tight lips.

A vomit of words crept out from his chest but he could only gasp in a breath of anticipation. His excuses were clogged in the back of his throat. At this time, he new what Bulma was going to say and there was no way he could come up with an explanation.

Why'd she have to find out like this?

"You want to leave your family don't you?" she at long last blurted.

Was it ok for him to feel relieved? The tension that blocked the blood flow in his face loosened and his tight breath of air was at last exhaled. Vegeta bowed his head so that she couldn't witness his tiny smile.

"See?! You can't even look at me! It's true isn't it?!" she started to rant. Trunks tugged at his mother's arm slightly but she wouldn't stand for his interruptions. She snapped her arm away and stomped up to Vegeta until she was nose to nose with him.

"Tell me now, Vegeta!" she hissed in his face. "Do you, or do you not, love your family?! And don't try to fight your way out of an answer because that gives me one!"

He looked strait at her with his derogating smile and looked at her in a loving but humiliating way. Bulma stood back with a glare.

"Bulma," He said with a degrading smirk. "You're trying to get attention again. Don't fish for compliments."

Bulma scoffed and looked him up and down with a disgusted look plastered on her face.

"…how…DARE you not take me seriously?! Right now, you are only proving me right!"

"Bulma, it's not important for me to remind you all the time!"

"You NEVER remind me! I've never heard you say that you loved us in you entire life!"

"Why is it so important at this very moment?!"

Her own words deceived her. The only thing she could do was stand back, and watch her own allegation betray her. The tables suddenly turned on her and now she felt victimized of her own accusing. He continued

"I know I've been acting strange, Bulma," he admitted. "But so have you. And I'm beginning to wonder what kind of excuse you have for it."

She bit her lip. Her tongue tasted the lingering flavor of infidelity still clinging to her lip gloss. Though, this whole time, she pretended that her two children were out of the house, she suddenly noticed that they were standing at the side almost between the two couples.

They both looked at their mother and father as if they were not sure who to stand by.

The look of confusion was stuck to their faces and the sight of them witnessing them fight once again gave her the bitter feeling of corruption in the pit of her stomach.

While Vegeta stared through her and felt her wariness suddenly rise from the heat of her sweat, he began to sense a sudden change as well. This sensation however was different from hers and very familiar to him.

Vegeta's lungs began to swell and the tightness of his breathing began to rise. A gurgle of choking breath was all he could take it. His eyes turned a dull brown and his face suddenly withdrew from color.

By his family's view, it was only looked like an uncommon sight of him crying. It was much worse than that though.

He turned his back to his family and started stumbling away from them. Needles felt like they were poking his feet as he tried to pick up his pace. Bulma couldn't sense this danger and tried to stop him.

"Where do you think you're going?!!" she screeched. "You think you can just run away from this problem?!" She hesitated to go after him. His children only stared off and were still confused on whether to help their father or stand their ground with pride along with their mother.

A slam of the door was the last word from Vegeta. Trunks took that as a queue to run after him.

"Trunks!" Bulla called after him. Bulma chimed in too.

"Trunks! Get back here right now! He doesn't want to see you!"

He ignored the orders, for he knew that they wanted to run after him as much as he did. Trunks swung open the door and was lost in the night's darkness.

Vegeta was walking as fast as he could to the pulse of blood vibrating under the tiny fabrics of skin that he had. He was scared to breathe in case his flesh ripped and he finally bled to death.

"Dad, wait up!" he heard only a couple of feet behind him.

A voice rang out in Vegeta's head. It had been so long since he heard this same voice that was calling him. It was a sound that he thought had died, but every now and then, it would come back. A sound he used to call his own.

"_Vegeta, run." _It said. _"Get out of here before he catches up to you. You know what will happen if he gets any closer. GO! Before he get's hurt!" _

And then, with its everlasting rebuttal, his other voice came into play. The harsh, sinful tone that had guided him since the day his menacing form was born. The one that they had _made_ for him, it was there just in case he had a free thought.

"_Kill him, Vegeta. He's asking for It," _He maliciously said with his dark, deep tone. "_It's your duty to kill them all anyway, start of with this one… DO IT!"_

Vegeta stopped dead in his tracks once he reached the cold pavement of the Capsule Corp. driveway. Trunks halted and his footsteps died as he reached his final destination of his father's side.

Trunks reached out his small hand to touch his father's shoulder just so he could try and coax Vegeta to actually face him. It only took the lightest touch of Trunks' finger for Vegeta to snatch the wrist of his son and grasp the small flesh of him.

Vegeta twisted his arm and swung him around to face him. He could feel a trickle of blood running through his black gloves. As he sprained the bones of Trunks, he could see the even more painful look stuck to his child's face. Trunks tried desperately not to look scared or in pain of his father's actions.

With his bloodthirsty eyes, Vegeta looked through him coldly.

For the first time, Trunks fell in fear for his own life in the hands of his father. Trunks felt the need to run as Vegeta opened his lips to speak.

"Run…" Vegeta whispered. "Get the hell out of here."

"No..." Trunks shook his head.

"Trunks, you goddamn better listen to me-"

"NO! I'M NOT GOING!"

A swirl of wind came rushed at him and Vegeta sent a blood-churning blow to Trunks' face. A spray of blood sprang from Trunks' nose and he fell to the ground in defeat.

Though, he pretended not to see it, Vegeta couldn't help but observe his son's tears running down his blood-stained cheeks and creating a deep puddle into the pavement.

Vegeta took a deep sigh and closed his eyes in hope that he would forget the sight. He said his last words to the body curled up into the cement floor.

"You'd never believe me if I said I didn't mean to do it, son."

He flew off.

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"_You never finish the job do you," _the dark sound hissed at him.

Vegeta tried to concentrate to the tiniest things surrounding him. He found himself more fascinated with the pitter-patters of the rainfall of the fatal horn blows of the traffic cars.

He blinded himself with the billboard and building lights and he blocked the smell of blood with the refreshing smell of delectable dining across the street.

Satan city was the most distracting place in the world. Instead of feeling the intense pain in his fists from earlier, he decided to concentrate on the cold metal pole running up his back. He leaned more against it to numb all feelings from his body.

The more senses he could occupy, the less he would be able to hear that voice.

Another taxi cab came at the side of the road. The window rolled down and the driver blocked the blistering rain from coming in the car.

"Hey, buddy! Are you just going to stand out on the street corner all night!?" he yelled.

Vegeta held up a well-known hand gesture to move the cab along. The driver grimaced and took the line to leave.

It was strange how Vegeta never strayed from his spot. Even he was puzzled on why he depended on never leaving the support of the street sign. It was that he felt so comfortable when he wasn't standing up all by himself. Nowadays, he felt like he didn't even have the strength to do it any more.

Another splash of water came rushing through the street gutters and sprayed the soaked pavement with a new coat of sludge. Another screech of the brakes echoed through the damp, night sky, and another window started to roll down by Vegeta's side.

Vegeta scowled and felt a heat of temper rushing out of him.

"DAMNIT, for the last time, I DON'T want a ride, and I DON'T want to sell my body!"

His reflection vanished from the black screen once the window was fully rolled down. Gohan's face stood in its place.

"Vegeta…" Gohan asked calmly. "What are you doing out here?"

Vegeta blushed and swallowed the stone caught in the back of his throat.

"Nothing…" was all he could think of. Gohan didn't push his luck with questions so he took the answer with a smile.

"Did you want a ride? We can drop you off home."

"No thanks," Vegeta replied monotonously.

Gohan was taken back and he tried to think of something to do or say. He couldn't just leave Vegeta out in the rain, even if he wanted to be there.

The first thought came to mind.

"We missed you at the reception," he smiled sheepishly. Vegeta didn't reply but only stared awkwardly into the depths of the car. His arms were tightly folded as if he were trying not to say anything back. Gohan looked down at his feet.

There was no way of persuading Vegeta or even having a friendly talk with him. He decided to keep it short and sweet and blurt out exactly what he was thinking.

"Thank you," Gohan said sincerely. "She really liked it."

And with that, the window rolled back up until Vegeta could get the full, pathetic view of himself leaning against the pole stubbornly.

The taxi cab flew off and the sound of the engine melted into the other boisterous city sounds.

Inside the cab, though, it was strangely quiet. Gohan felt the late feeling of regret as he left the street corner. The farther away they drifted down the road, the more he wanted to turn back.

He didn't even notice his bride sitting right beside him. She, too, was lost in her own world of thought as she opened and closed the case over and over again with an agonizing blank expression. Gohan broke the ice with a chuckle.

"You keep looking at it, Videl, but you haven't tried it on all night!" he laughed.

Videl seized to join him. She never met his eyes and only looked into the shining ovals of the stones swirling about.

"I'm scared," she finally answered. "I'm scared that if I touch it, it won't be special anymore."

Gohan curled up beside her and glided his hand up and down her silky thigh. "I think that it'll be even more beautiful if you wear it," he smiled seductively.

Videl let out a long awaited giggle and met with his bright, brown eyes. "Well…" she played along. "It is just as beautiful as me isn't it," she said jokingly.

He encouraged her, "You're even _more._" Her soft, thin fingers unlocked the ties that held the necklace in place. Slowly, she lifted it up in front of her so she could get an even closer look at the precious diamonds.

"Oh, Gohan, It's stunning!" she cooed.

"Oh my god, what is _that_?!"

Videl looked over the glittering parcel to find Gohan's shocked face. By the looks of it, Gohan was eyeing the back of the necklace where it was laid against the throat.

She turned it over to get a good view of what seemed to be dry, maroon paint smeared all over it.

"Oh, don't worry, Gohan, some paint must've got on it somehow. We can clean it off before I wear it."

Though Videl continued to smile at her newlywed, his expression was still not convinced. He looked into her eyes with deep concern. Suddenly, she felt naive to what Gohan was eyeing.

"Videl…" he said with a shake in his voice. "…That's blood."

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Vegeta felt his back slipping as the night went on. An hour later, he was sitting against the pole, struggling to stay awake, even when rain continued to splash him.

A couple hours ago, Gohan came to him. Once again, he was silent to him.

If he had spoken to the young Saiyan, he would've told him everything. It was a vulnerable time like this that he so desperately wanted to tell them the truth and tell them all that had happened to him so long ago. Once again, the dark voice halted him.

They probably would never find out at the rate that he was going. Unfortunately, he would always know. He had the gift of memory surrounding him.

His eyes started warily closing and he found himself alone with his thoughts again. The rain triggered his memory of that dark day. A night like this one was the time that he would mostly think about the last thing that happened to him…that happened to her.

_He clung to the strung jewels in his bloody fist and held her head in the other. The rain fell heavily onto his wounds and stung his back and they washed away the red liquid covering her golden skin. _

_He lay by her side on his knees and looked over her body that was delicately sprawled out on the muddy ground. _

_They almost made it. Once they had escaped, she promised she would wear it for him. He kept it safely for her in its case and secured it in his pocket. Now, he was almost trying to hand it to her to put it on as he held her up with his one arm. _

_She would never feel it though. _

Vegeta's eyes shut tight and his drifted off into his dream.

**Done! Just so you know, every chapter is a clue to what happened. Hope you like it! PLEASE REVIEW!! I WILL TAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS!! **


	6. Doomsday

**A month and a half later…. I DECIDE TO UPDATE! Sorry bout that. I'm soo busy right now. So, just don't give your hopes up when I say that a chappie is coming out soon. I'm usually wrong about the deadline. I hope you enjoy!**

**Doomsday**

Vegeta wondered how much trouble he'd get himself into if any one had seen him strolling up the Capsule Corp. pavement that day. It was a school day for Trunks, day care week for Bulla, and the Mrs. was well into one of her many meetings. It was the perfect day to go back 'home.' At least he would stay for a little while.

He only needed to pick up a few things.

The pin number unlocked the metal handles and the glistening front door slid open in a quick flash. The maid waited politely with her towels and wipes in hand along with a bright expression.

"Good morning Mr. Vegeta!" she sweetly quivered with her old and broken down voice.

"Vegeta was never here," he replied as he whisked past her.

The maid's thin lips shut tight and she slowly turned in the opposite direction.

Vegeta passed many chrome halls and brightly lit corridors to finally get to his destination. The repetitive sights of the underground lab sparked little imagination but gave Vegeta too much too think about since there was nothing else to occupy his mind.

Though he hated to admit it, the Namek was right. His life was being stripped away and he yearned for the answer. Vegeta thought about his limitations and his anatomy according to everything he overheard when he was…he shuddered… _created_.

The model designed for his body was prone to disease and other viruses, and his physical makeup was ten times more able to restructure itself after a battle. He had not been physical in a long time.

So why? Why was he acting this way? His temper was growing shorter by the minute and his hesitation to kill would not be at peace. Why did he always feel faint and light headed? Why did he hyperventilate at the most random situations? Why were body fluids refusing to stay down? What was this pain?

Vegeta would go through the obstacle of going through Bulma's lab to find out.

His glove-covered fingers lightly tapped on the last key pad. A green light flickered while the gigantic metal doors gradually revealed the dark lab. His shadow cast its long figure through the ray of light and covered the various machines that stood waiting for him.

Vegeta took a light step in when as all the white lights came pouring into the room and lit the chrome walls. The doors tightly shut behind him and all was secure. He was safe to explore for a number of hours before the nuisance came home.

Without a single hesitation, Vegeta made a strait line towards the one computer that was clacking and beeping by the back wall. He was familiar with this machine and knew it was the one for his job.

By it were many tubes and microscopes, which Vegeta pulled with a single swipe towards him. Though he knew that not a single soul would disturb him for a while, he needed to make this task short and sweet. A large screen stood proudly over him. This would be the window to what he was so desperately looking for.

At first guess, Vegeta pressed a single button which opened the numerous files stored in the screen. Vegeta's fingers tapped and clicked on the keyboard for a total of five minutes until he reached his destination. A folder, one he had secretly saved, had opened up in front of his very eyes.

Inside, an entire map of his body was perfectly sealed. It was a stolen piece of evidence that he constructed a long time ago. Everything that they controlled about him, he would be aware of. Though he had no idea how to work or undo their progress, he had a map to where they were going.

To update this, Vegeta set out a plate of blood he collected from that morning and placed it under a scanner. This had been routine for him when he first got a hold of this device, but as time went on, he found little time to check in.

A strip of purple light delicately ran over the blood sample and then stopped for a slight moment to process.

Pop-ups and windows sprang forward at him at lighting speed. He had not the sight capacity to read it all but the flashing red letters made him sense some sort of danger. The last window popped up and he let out a small breath of relief.

It was a countdown.

The decreasing and beeping numbers triggered his curiosity. Another folder came up along with the sample data.

"…Experiment #01: final duties…" he mumbled the title to himself. His finger dared not click the final button to open it but his fate counted on him finally knowing.

Inside he read his fatality

_Experiment #01's detonation: set in motion. _

_Bodily Acid: increasing _

_Central nerve system: overloading. Increase of irritability activated _

_Neuro-computer: shutting down _

_First target: 1) destruction of Earth life 2) preparation for battle camps_

_Goal progress: Incomplete_

_Final target: destroy earthen influence and life within time limit. _

_Experiment #01 shutdown: implosion _

His death lay in sight; completely summarized too. Many would give anything to know his knowledge. It was almost a privilege to know when and how one was going to die. One could prepare and be thankful that they may have a good amount of time to do what they always wanted to accomplish before the day.

But what Vegeta had to accomplish before that day was the worst objective anyone could ever ask for. Those beasts made sure that they would ruin everything for him until they followed him to his grave.

Vegeta backed down from his work in shock. In the back of his mind, he knew what they were doing. He expected the worst and he as sure as hell got it.

Vegeta's neuro-chip was detonating. It would increase his anger and aggressiveness so that he would have the chance to finally kill earthlings before time was up. Everyday would get worse until that final day when his body _would_ finally implode and his monstrosity upon the world would be complete.

He _will_ be the one to kill his family…and all of his friends.

Responsibility of death would not leave his blood-stained hands. It would stain his skin until one day it would be the end of him as well.

Vegeta slapped only one button on the machine. The computer blinked into a black oblivion and Vegeta ran for his life out of the Capsule Corp.

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Bulma held a similar blood plate in the palm of her hand that night. Like a ghost, Bulma passed by the lab hallways in the same footsteps that Vegeta had taken that day. Beside her, and lacking the crisp, white, lab-coat, was Chichi.

"You don't think this is the same heart virus do you?" Chichi asked with a large amount of anticipation in her throat. Bulma looked at the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Oh, of course not, Chichi," she said sternly. "I'm sure it's just a tiny sickness that we can cure with antibiotics."

At the same computer, with keys recently soiled by hands, Bulma clacked through her many files until she came up to the program for blood-testing. She slid Goku's sample under the scanner and went through a familiar process.

A single folder came into view. After only a couple second of review, Bulma gave a small chuckle.

"See, Chichi? There's nothing severely wrong with him. This just says that he has the flu! There's nothing you can do about that. Just let him rest for a while."

Chichi's shoulders slumped down dramatically as she let out a heavy sigh. "Thank the lord!" she breathed. Just then, something caught her eye. A second blood plate lay right next to Goku's.

"Bulma, what's this?" she pointed at the tray. Bulma took a slight glance at it but paid it no mind.

"Oh, that's just one of Vegeta's tests. It's probably pretty old. He used to take tests for himself all the time when we were first getting together. I still don't know why since he was never sick before."

Chichi gave the blood an inquisitive look. It seemed too suspicious for Bulma to brush by without a single worried thought. Chichi was afraid that Bulma was blind to half of the things going on with her husband. Over the years, it almost gave the impression that she stopped caring.

"By the way, how are things with Vegeta?" she dared to ask.

Bulma jerked around and turned her back to leave. "I don't even want to talk about it."

Just as Chichi rushed to follow her, her elbow accidentally knocked the frail salver where the samples rested. With a crash, the dishes flew into the air and splashed both of the red liquids all over the polished floor.

Bulma's eye caught the act right in the middle of the air and gave a heavy gasp. The sound of the plates crashing down was almost as nauseating as nails on a chalk board, especially in the ears of Bulma.

"Dear God, Chichi!" she screeched. "Don't you know how dangerous that is?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know how I-"

Chichi seized her breath and suddenly took notice to the blood spilled thickly on the floor. She observed Goku's blood, which shimmered in the lamp light and thinly layered a small portion of the floor below. Then, she took notice to the second splash of red which rained onto the ground with a hissing patter and melted its way through the tough marble panels.

The blood was bubbling and steaming as it burned. The raunchy smell tingled her senses and she gave Bulma a sickening look of fear.

As well as Chichi, Bulma was in shock. There was finally a space in time for Chichi to ask questions.

"Bulma…I thought Goku and Vegeta were both purebred."

"They are…"

"And both Saiyan?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Why is Vegeta's…"

"I don't know…"

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The lights inside Bulma's bedroom were blind to what was around them. The walls did not close in to hear another story to keep. Everything that night was secretive. The sounds that the two made were humble and endearing so that all noise would overshadow theirs.

Bulma kissed his chest and nibbled her way to the corner of his chiseled cheek. She laid her suckling lips by the corner of his ear and smooched his earlobe seductively.

He held on for dear life onto her thighs and pulled her closer. Their heads poked out of the sheets and the rest of their intertwined body rested under the covers. Their every deed was perfectly hidden.

She tenderly placed her head on his chest and felt the deep wave of his lungs moving up and down. His hand ran through her locks and he looked down at her with a smile. Unfortunately, he received nothing in return.

"Yamcha…?" she asked with a bittersweet hush. "I'm ruining my life, aren't I?"

He moved his palm up and down her soft head. "Of course not, babe," he assured her. "It's just a tough time right now. You'll get through it."

"But that's what I'm sort of worried about. What if I do get through it? What if Vegeta finally comes around? How will I live with myself knowing that I did…this?"

Yamcha gave a twisted look of discouragement. "Who says that Vegeta will ever come around?" he asked sternly. Bulma looked up at him with a face of so many questions. However, she was too crestfallen to ask a single one. She just gave him the small glance and then went back to rest her head against his heart.

As he rubbed her head to whisk the problems away, Yamcha decided that Bulma was in too much of an unstable state to make up her own decisions. He was going to have to make them up for her.

One thing that he had already decided on was…some people would have to go.

NEXT CHARACTER NEXT CHAPTER!!! PLEAZE REVIEW TO FIND OUT! 


	7. Have you Seen This Man?

**VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER! This is actually sort of an introduction of a new character but you won't know more about him until later. Please tell me what you think and give me any ideas on what to put in! I'll take requests if they fit in ;) hope you enjoy!! **

"**Have You Seen This Man?"**

Trunks drenched his aching body with the ice cold water gushing down from the bottle. His muscles soaked in the cool liquid as he ran it all over every crevice. The heat from the sun quickly dried up the droplets and almost sizzled as they rose up into steam.

Scorching sand stung his bare toes and he picked them up one by one to keep the pain off. He looked over to the other side of the dessert and saw Goten chugging down another canister of water as well.

Dropping his bottle to the hot ground below, Trunks smiled and hollered over to his friend. "Had enough, huh?" he laughed

Goten swiped his mouth of the residue and smirked back. "Hell no!" he replied. "Are you kidding me? I barely started! No, offense Trunks, but your fighting style has definitely taken a wrong turn!"

With a flash, Trunks came up to the nose of Goten and sent his knee into Goten's stomach with a blood-churning blow. Goten coughed up bits of vomit.

"Oh, really, now?" Trunks chuckled in his ear. Getting his wind back, Goten took Trunks' arm and was about to send him flying in the opposite direction, when something caught his eye. A large bruise on the side of Trunks' face garnished his entire cheek and his lip was cut rather severely. Now, Goten can remember his fights and since today, he hadn't touched Trunks' face at all.

Goten took a hold of his arm but instead of hurling him, he stopped the fight altogether to get a closer look.

"Trunks, what's that on your…your FACE?!" he asked. It took Trunks a while to realize what he was talking about but when he knew, he quickly jerked away and shielded his side.

"It's nothing ok?!" Trunks sounded very defensive about it.

Goten started to laugh. "Goddamn! I didn't know your pimp bitch slapped you THAT hard! What did you do? Downgrade your 'sucky sucky?' getting bad for business?!"

Trunks had no reply to any of it. He stared coldly at Goten while his friend continued to laugh at him.

"Oh, come on, Trunks! There's nothing to be ashamed of! At least Wayne Brady didn't have to choke a bitch! Hahahahahaha!"

"Shut up, Goten. It's not that…"

"What was it then? Did Bulla get you good? Hahahahaha!!!"

"Shut… up…"

"Aw, stop being so protective! It's not like your dad is jerkin' you around! Hahahahaha…ha…ha…um…Trunks?"

Trunks looked down at his bare feet and turned his back on Goten with a guilty face.

"Trunks, what did I say?" Goten caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder. Trunks pushed his friendly arm away and sent Goten back.

"Don't touch me! I swear, Goten, I'm not afraid to really hit you right now."

"Trunks, did Vegeta do that?"

"Please! Just leave me alone!"

Trunks walked as fast as he could toward his backpack and started to pile his gear up in the sack to go home. The shade form the single palm tree covered up his scorching bare back and also cast darkness on his face so the single tear could not be seen.

Goten refused to leave Trunks' side and so he rested his back on the palm tree's trunk. "If you want, we can sit and talk about it. I won't say anything anymore." His friend became desperate to know.

Trunks took a glance up at him and searched his soul before taking a seat in the cooling shade.

After telling what had happened beside the receding sun, Goten looked down at the reddening ground and tried to search for the right thing to say so that Trunks wouldn't get up and leave.

"Honestly, Trunks, I don't think your dad is necessarily…_bad_, but I _do_ think that he's going over the deep end."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first off, he's acting like he has turret's with all the shaking and the twitching all the time, and secondly, he never used to hit things without a reason. Now he's kicking and punching things all the time, like he's venting."

Trunks had a concerned tone as he asked, "you don't think that he's holding back the anger he has for _us_ do you?'

"Yea, I do. I really think he hates the Z team. Why he's staying, I don't know."

"You think he hates his family?"

Goten realized he had just brushed upon a sensitive subject.

"Not entirely. Your dad is just full of hate. And in return, everyone is going to hate him. But you and your sister and mom accept him. You accept his faults, you recognize his feelings, and you stick with him even when times are thick. He's not going to find that anywhere else."

Trunks almost felt a smile coming on. Goten looked at his buddy and realized how lost his gaze was. Trunks was always the smart friend, this was the first time where Goten felt like he had all the answers and was actually giving the advice that Trunks had given him for so many years.

"Hey, Trunks," he called his buddy from the hypnotizing gaze. "I AM concerned for you. This…" Goten put a hand on Trunks' bruise, "…this is not ok. Your dad is dangerous.

"Well, I just can't get rid of him! He's my dad!"

"…"

"Goten, what harm could he do?"

"Kill you! Or even worse, turn you in the same direction as him! You could turn out just like this! His blood is in you, remember that."

Trunks got up from his stance and stared down at him. Goten no longer felt powerful like he did before.

"I will NOT be like my father," Trunks said between gritted teeth. Goten responded by getting up and facing him dead in the eyes.

"I think it's really sad that you don't want to be like him. I think it's sad when a father is so pitiful that a son would be ashamed of him and not look up to him." Goten began to loose his temper and found the courage to speak up against Trunks. "Vegeta is a **bad man**. The team established that years ago. It's time to stop denying it."

"You don't even _know_ my father."

"Who is he then?!"

"I…don't…know…"

Trunks looked up to the red and orange and purple sky. "I'm still trying to find him…"

Suddenly, a speck of white came down from the hazy clouds. It caught the eye of Trunks and he followed the speck as it drew near. The picture became clearer and he found wings soaring around a man and flapping about the clear sky.

Goten saw the man too. "What is that?" he asked astonished.

"That's an angel," Trunks replied nonchalantly.

"An ANGEL?!" Goten was shocked.

Trunks sighed at his stupidity. "Not _that_ kind of angel. It's a different kind of creature like Nameks, humans, Arlians…"

Goten wanted to know more. "Are there more of them?"

"Sure, they're everywhere. There are different kinds too. We have earthen angels just like Saiyans have Saiyan angels. It's just a different type of creature, Goten, that's all."

How Trunks knew everything about everything was more than Goten would ever comprehend. "Why is it headed our way?"

Trunks looked closer to the speck. "Is it coming over here?"

"Sure looks like it."

Sure enough, in minutes, the angel landed just feet away from the two demi-saiyans. It was draped in white tattered clothes and had a black head cloth covering everything from his head to his mouth so that the only things visible were his piercing blue eyes.

"Um…can we help you?" Goten called over to him with a goofy grin.

It took a couple second for the strange man to respond.

"Actually," came a muffled tone. "You certainly can."

The man in white came closer to the two and pulled out a scroll from his baggy, frayed pocket. He unwrapped the scroll and held up a photograph.

The picture contained another angel who was tall and built. His skin was cinnamon brown and he wore short, jet black, spiked hair. His bright smile was very unfamiliar to the boys. They didn't know what was familiar about him, though. It could've been anything. It was a bad picture that was very much worn.

"Sorry," Trunks replied after a short while. "I've never seen him in my life."

"Me neither," Goten said.

The angel sighed and wrapped up the picture slowly. Trunks and Goten started to feel bad.

"Well, what about a name?" Trunks asked with haste. "If we got a name we could look for him or ask around!"

"Yeah, and what about _your_ name? We could come and find you if we do see him!"

The angel stepped back and shook his head. "I'm sorry but it's very important that my, and his, identity is concealed. Only _I_ must know of him for safety purposes. There are…_other_…people looking for him as well. I have to get to him first."

"Who is he to you?" Trunks asked.

Goten and Trunks could almost make out a smile beneath his rags. "Oh…just as old friend."

The angel flew off after those words.

**Very niiiiiiccceee??? **


	8. The Domino Effect

**Miss me? Lol**

He nearly collapsed against the cold rock's surface as he reached the opening of the cave. His arms lagged at his sides as his soar wing tips dragged along in the dust. It was not that he couldn't take the miles of flying around the earth. It was just growing to be monotonous.

The angel dropped his tired body against the cave wall and finally let out a heave of exhausted air. His head wrap was slowly removed to reveal his face. Hopefully, no one was watching. It would be a catastrophe if any one had discovered him.

He looked around the scene to check the coast. No one. Absolutely nothing in sight except for the moon's haunting glow along the red sand. It was finally safe to have a thought to himself.

"Thirty years…" he whispered. "Thirty long, unfulfilling years." He took out the scroll of paper and unraveled it. Inspecting every detail and fragment of the man, he slowly found himself following the thoughts of the many travelers he sought along the way. What was the big deal? This man? Does he affect anyone at all. And yet, his life affects _everything_.

It was all in the cards. The smallest pebble decides the fate of the tallest crumbling mountain.

"_You're just another 'the world is ending' guy aren't you? Nothing's gonna happen!"_

Many have rebutted his search. Calling him crazy and saying that he was setting himself on a wild goose chase.

They were wrong. It was all happening under their noses. Nothing could prepare them all for what was boiling deep underground. It was something he wasn't even allowed to explain. If anyone knew of it, all hell would break loose. He couldn't even tell his good friend.

"_I don't understand how I can help you if you won't tell me anything!" The supreme kai almost yelled at him during his stay. _

"_I wish I could. You know enough already just being where you were."_

Long ago, the supreme kai had just happened to be visiting his home planet when he and the angel first met.

He shuttered at the thought of that day. After being one of the only survivors of the Academy, he thought they would find him for sure and slit his throat to keep a quiet mouth. He could've saved his friend as well. Then he wouldn't be looking for him for all this time.

Thank god the kai was there to save him from that dark place. Hopefully, he would never have to go back.

All he can do now is take the time that fate handed him, and use it to his advantage. To find his friend, and correct this whole mess.

A tear sprang from the side of his eye. It was rare that he would break down. But there was no one to see, and it had been too long to not have the faintest idea of giving up. He prayed to the sky before he drifted off into sleep.

"Vegeta…where are you?"

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Things were getting worse.

Vegeta found himself staying in bed during his daughter's ceremony. She would be entering high school after the summer had come to a long, cold end. By doing this, he thought he was doing her a favor.

Flipping out during dinner because a fork was missing to hitting Trunks when he didn't respond fast enough, he couldn't allow the tiniest thing to go wrong. Besides, it would seem weird if every ten minutes he had to get up and take another injection.

Fuck the Namek. He _could_ get along with those injections. They were just becoming more numerous in with the years. Now, Vegeta would have to get up every two hours in the night to take them. During the day, it was worse. Every have hour, the Saiyan would start to tense up and jitter if he didn't get the dosage.

They settled the monster inside of him. The one that was only one sly comment away from ripping off the short one's head or tearing off the old man's legs so he didn't need that fucking cane anymore.

"You'd think the guy would be dead by now," he said to Bulma. "How old is he? 54923043829402?"

56, to him, felt like an eternity. How excruciating would life be if a man had to wake up and wonder if he was finally going to loose it that day?

Feeling like a dead beat for not seeing his only joy in life, Vegeta volunteered to take Bulla home after she had her after party with the middle school sluts she liked to hang around. Girls will be girls, he always assumed. Just like cock suckers would always be cock suckers. Tomato, Tomaato.

"And in high school, there's no uniform, so we get to wear skirts EVERYDAY!" Bulla squealed from the passenger seat.

"That's great, Bulla. Just watch out for those air vents."

"Um, Daddy, you're driving really fast… I have hair to keep strait, you know."

"Daddy has to get home fast."

He could feel the tremors boiling.

"Why? There's nothing there to get home to."

"Just trust me, Bulla."

"But we're gonna crash!"

"BULLA, SHUT TH FUCK UP!"

Silence. Nothing was heard for the rest of the drive home except for the wind rushing through the convertible windows. At times, Vegeta would look to the corner of his eye to catch a glimpse of small tears running down his daughters face.

Dear god, she didn't deserve it.

_If you have to take me¸_ he thought,_ please don't take her along._

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A slam of the door was heard from the kitchen. Trunks' head perked up and a rush of terror and adrenaline ran through him with a single jolt. The thunderous sound could only be from his father.

The strewn about clothes along the floor were still lingering in the family room and the piercing sound of giggles could be heard from every corner of the mansion. There was no way he could take care of it all. Operation: **distraction** came into play.

"DAD!" Trunks' voice cracked as he rushed to greet him. Vegeta found no patience for him at the moment so he quickly brushed off the greeting and rushed to the bathroom. Bulla opened the door soon after while Trunks still stood shocked at the doorway.

He looked down at his little sister's face. The stained tears reddening her skin said more than words.

"…Dad's acting weird again…" she whimpered.

Good. Trunks thought. When these episodes hit his father he was usually in an isolated room for hours until someone found him passed out on the floor. Trunks knew it was drugs; he just didn't want to object to anything Vegeta did or said. It might get him killed one day.

"Where's mommy?" Bulla asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Mommy's gone out for some groceries," Trunks quickly replied.

"Her purse is on the chair."

"Yeah well…um…"

"You know who comes here a lot?" She randomly brought another case up. Trunks was willing to take it.

"Who?"

"Yamcha…"

"FUCK!" Vegeta burst through the bathroom door with waterfalls of sweat pouring down his body. "Where are they?! Where the FUCK are they?!"

Trunks panicked and found himself short of breath. The anticipation was too much to handle. His eyes paced across the room and wondered if they two had heard anything from their closed door.

"Where's who? I-I mean where's what?" Trunks tried to stall.

"MY BOX!" Vegeta screamed back.

_Of drugs…? _Trunks finished in his thoughts

"I need to find it. DON'T follow me!" Vegeta breathed heavily.

Trunks looked back at his younger sister who had backed up against the wall with a stricken face of fear. Vegeta would never let her see this side of him. Trunks, however, dealt with it his whole life.

Vegeta drew closer and closer to the bedroom He couldn't let it end this way. If he had just one tiny injection… everything would be normal.

Trunks saw where he was heading and ran as quickly as he could to get in his way. "Dad! Don't go in there!" he objected. Vegeta's son stood directly in his path to his medicine. What a dangerous route this boy was willing to take.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Vegeta yelled trying to push his son aside

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" Trunks started banging on the wall behind him to give some kind of a warning.

"I swear to god, son, I'll…"

And with that, Vegeta took a blinding blow to Trunks' face and sent him flying across the room into the kitchen table. Trunks landed with a huge crack to his back. Splinters flew from every which direction. Vegeta didn't take a second glance as he knocked the bedroom door down…

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"I know what you're thinking…" Yamcha said slowly. "But let me explain…"

"Vegeta…" Bulma whimpered under the tainted sheets.

This was it…Vegeta was standing in stick strait in a cold sweat. His throat closed up so tight that it was impossible to take in anything. The tremors seized for a small moment in time. They were building up for this moment.

This small moment set all chaos into motion.

**I'll have the new chappie up this week since I skipped out for all those months. Hope ur still interested in the story! Haha. I need 5 reviews please so I can see how I did with this one **


	9. Trunks

**See… I kept my promise!! Less than one week WHAT UP!! lol**

"…Now, let's all try to stay calm and work this out as men…" Yamcha said coolly and quietly. He couldn't help, though, but have the slightest tremble in his hands. The fear was boiling in him as he locked gaze with flame beaten eyes.

The room was dangerously still. Bulma still covered her naked skin up with the satin sheets, thinking her entire being would be invisible if she said nothing and let the men duke it out once and for all.

And yet, nothing had happened yet.

Vegeta had not moved from his spot. His entire body was as still as a pole. Even his eyes had not blinked once but rather glazed over with a cloudy film of hate. Yamcha decided to do the same and instead of crouched over trying to get his pants up, he slowly moved up to stand tall and face Vegeta… pants still down. He was really just testing to see if Vegeta would move at least an inch.

Nothing. Not even a breath from Vegeta was heard in the dead silence.

Suddenly, a small sound broke loose. A small cough from Vegeta's chest. Then another. Then a gurgled cough.

A spring of blood burst from Vegeta's lips and trickled down his chin. Vegeta's eyes watered to the brims, still no blinking.

Bulma screamed from her hiding place while Yamcha's mouth gaped open in shock. His hands reached out to him as poor attempt to help but Yamcha was so frozen in fear that the whole scene was too surreal for him to comprehend.

Through the whole commotion of wails and gasps of horror, Yamcha could only concentrate on the last thing he saw that night. Vegeta finally let his eyes roll back and allowed his body to collapse on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

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Chichi had never grasped the phone so tightly in her life. It was hard to let go of the conversation she and Bulma were engaging in. Fear seemed to be circulation around their circle of friends and it had finally hit the son household when they allowed Trunks and Bulla to hide away in their house for safekeeping.

"Yes, Bulma, they'll be fine. Don't you worry about it. And if you need anyone else at the hospital to wait with you, you just call us up. I'm sure Goku would be there at any time…yes…no problem…good night."

A heavy sigh was heard from the kitchen when Chichi hung of the phone. Goku sat at the table, the first time that food wasn't present, and waited for the news with an eager look plastered to his face.

"What's going on, Chi?" he asked, trying not to strike a nerve.

Chichi looked to her husband with heavy eyes. "Vegeta…overdosed…"

"What?! On what? Food?!"

"DRUGS, GOKU!"

"Oh… Pepto-Bismol?"

She tried to smile, she really did.

"No…hun…on other stuff, other _dangerous_ stuff."

"What exactly?"

"They actually don't know what. They found a whole mess of holes in his forearm from injections but the chemicals they found in his system are unidentifiable. There are actually TWO kinds of shit in there. There's a clear serum that he's actually been injecting and the other kind has been running through his entire organ system for god knows how long! No doctors can identify it. All they know is that the injections have apparently been counteracting the other stuff."

A blank look was found on Goku's face. Chichi didn't find it to be unusual. She finally broke into her smile and laughed at him.

"Did you get all that sweetie?" she chuckled.

"…You lost me at 'muffins.'"

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"…Drugs…Trunks…_drugs_."

"Don't you think I fucking heard her?!" Trunks hissed from the futon bed.

Darkness shrouded Goten's room but the muffled tones of the downstairs conversations still circulated, making it impossible to fall asleep.

The tense vibes were the most uncomfortable feelings that the two boys ever experienced. The current events that continued to spark tribulations for the Z team were taking a toll on a life long friendship. Unfortunately, in this case, there seemed to be no dawn after this darkness.

"Trunks?"

"What, Goten?" he snapped.

"…Just tell Bulla that she can always come back when _you_ start injecting yourself."'

There was no rebuttal. Trunks was facing the wall and refused to face his old friend even when the night allowed no sight. Their acquaintance had dimmed down to harsh words and dirty looks nowadays. Mostly because Goten had no idea what was going on and was feeding off rumors that most of the team created for their own revenge on his Trunks' father.

For another night, Trunks buried down his hate for his father. Even though Trunks had lost his best friend, the team's respect, and his family due to this one man that he shared half his blood with.

As he closed his eyes to drift off, he made the one promise with himself for the hundredth time. He would not go down with the ship and agree to hate Vegeta. Why? Hate is purely ignorance.

Goten hated Trunks because of Vegeta. And he hated Vegeta because he really didn't know what was going on. Everybody hates what they don't understand.

Deep down, Trunks knew something was up with his father. But until he found out, he would have to deal with the hate and not be afraid of facing the rumors.

The only thing he feared now was the fact that he may never know.

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"_I know this is cliché to ask but, what would you prefer? Boy…Girl?" She asked sweetly while huddled in the warm sheets. _

_His arm embraced her shoulder at the time and he gave it a good squeeze while he thought deeply about it. He smirked and looked down at her with a cat-like smile. _

"_Who says you're fertile?" he questioned back._

"_SERIOUSLY!" she gave him a playful squeeze on the abs. "I understand it's early to talk about it but just for fun…"_

_He took a big sigh and watched his abdomen rise up under the red sheets. Feeling a warm smile on his lips he looked back down at her and replied. _

"_Probably a boy…" _

_She giggled and hid her head to conceal her excitement. She went on._

"_And a name?" she smiled. _

"_I thought we were going with Jonue? Joey for short?"_

"_I think we should name him after your BFF."_

"_Trunks?! That was a joke we made a long time ago! We didn't think he'd actually go by it!"_

"_Tiego would appreciate it…"_

"_Tiego also appreciate a bottle of Jack Daniels. Let's just do that."_

_Instead of quickly snapping back, the woman watched his lips move and locked her bright blue eyes with his. Nothing was said back. He started to deeply chuckle under his breath once he looked back at her. She was cooking up something to say back… she always did._

"_You know what?" she smiled brightly. "You're going to make a great father, Vegeta…"_

"…Vegeta…Vegeta…" the voice suddenly drifted into a deep, snake-like tone that slithered through his dreams. Vegeta's eyes parted and winced into the blinding white lights of the hospital room. Fuck…he was still alive.

Through the blinding light, appeared a familiar form of darkness that came with a side of a smoky, nauseous smell. The black outline of a man stood before him with a greasy, white smile painted on his blurred face.

"Guess who thought they could get rid of me?" the man chuckled once he caught the whites of Vegeta's eyes.

Vegeta threw up in his mouth a small bit and then swallowed the sticky mess back down. He was getting too use to this demon to be scared of it anymore so he pried himself from the covers and propped himself up against the pillow.

"I never thought I _could_ get rid of you. Probably just shut you up for a couple of hours, neutralize the blood acid, calm my tremors…the basics. You know, have at least a _few_ more years before I loose it, right?" At times, it was fun to have an attitude with this man.

The shadow floated across the room and found its spot at the foot of the hospital bed. "Why are you even bothering? Those injections are shit! At the end of the day, you're still going to explode, you're still going to destroy this place, and I'll still be here…helping you every bit of the way."

The shadow pulled a cigarette out of the air and set it a blaze with a snap of its fingers.

"Since when do holograms smoke?" Vegeta retorted. It was still fun to give this thing attitude after all the years. The shadow gave an annoyed look at him but continued to puff out of the cigarette.

"Since when do monsters have families?" it replied without a care.

Vegeta's throat closed. This thing always won. It was inside of his mind, literally. He knew everything that made him tick. There would be no way to win a battle. He decided to shut up and pretend to listen for the millionth time.

"That's right, you heard me," it wickedly smiled. "Monster: Noun, a person, animal, or other creature constructed to inspire wickedness, cruelty, and destruction…I'm sorry, my friend, but that it **your** description."

The cigarette suddenly disappeared with a single spark. The shadow floated around to come closer to the pain-stricken Vegeta.

"Look what you just did, you created something you couldn't finish…a family. You almost kill them every day. Why not get it over with and get them out of your hair."

Vegeta grunted under his sealed lips but nothing came out.

"What was that? You… _love_ your family, though?" The shadow gave a burst of laughter that pierced Vegeta's eardrums with a blow of shame. He shut his eyes tight hoping the laughter didn't sink in any further.

The laughter seized. "FUCK your family! Fuck your friends and all the other people on this ball of shit! You _must_ remember why you were created, Vegeta, to DESTORY! Not to CREATE, you piece of FUCK!"

Its temper was flaring throughout the room. And yet, everyone outside the walls of his room would never hear him or see him for that matter. It was something Vegeta dealt with alone every time.

"That's why I'm here…to help you get the job done when your fucking feelings get in the way! If you would only do what you were told, we would have everything done a long time ago! We could've killed your son that day, remember? He was RIGHT THERE! He ran after you when you left, practically ASKING FOR IT! I kept telling you to go for it but NO! All you gave him was a bloody nose, WHAT THE FUCK?! Trust me, Vegeta, next time, I'm going the distance and doing him in myself."

"Don't you DARE touch my son!" Vegeta loudly blurted.

But the shadow was no longer there to hear it. A nurse had knocked on the door politely. With a shy, sweet smile, she peeked her head in to check on her patient.

"Mr. Vegeta?" she squeaked. Vegeta looked her way as his answer. "You have a visitor, sir."

Her head disappeared from the door and, in its place; Trunks pushed the door open lightly to reveal himself.

"Hi, dad," he said quietly.

Vegeta nodded with a faint smile. Speak of the devil.

"I just wanted to come visit you since you are my father an all." Trunks pulled up a chair from the wall and sat down by his father's side.

"Are you alone?" Vegeta finally spoke.

"Yea…"

"Where's Goten? You haven't been with him lately."

"Goten and I aren't friends anymore."

Vegeta cocked his head and twisted his face as if he didn't believe the statement but Trunks kept a strait face.

"What happened there?" Vegeta asked like he hadn't seen this certain Trunks in years.

"…_You_ happened, dad."

Vegeta took a deep breath and tried to take the reply lightly. It didn't work. Trunks had proven that no one had the power to hurt him quite like his own son. Trunks refused to look up from his folded hands.

A feeling of compassion overwhelmed the Saiyan prince for a small moment. This was the time to tell him.

"I understand, son," he said softly.

Trunks looked up from his folded fingers and felt like he was looking at his father for the first time.

Vegeta went on. "I had been waiting for a son like you all my life…and I…I screwed up. You have every right to blame me for all the problems our family has ever had."

Trunks was still in disbelief that this was his father talking. He wanted to know what more this strange man had to say.

"I don't deserve the family I have. There's a reason why but… I can never tell you… I tried but I'll never be strong or brave enough to do it."

"What do you want me to do about that, dad?" Trunks' eyes were brimming. "Do you just want me to _know_ that, or what?"

"No… I want you to do me a favor."

Trunks gulped down his tears and moved closer to his side.

"Trunks…if one day, you wake up, and I'm suddenly not there anymore…just be as strong as you are today."

"What are you saying?"

"Don't argue, brat, just do as I say. You need to carry on with your life and pretend I never existed."

Vegeta tried not to get emotional. He didn't want to see his son choked up over something he was creating. There seemed to be no use though, Trunks was already fighting the red stains in his eyes.

"That's hypothetical, though, right?" Trunks asked through choked up yelps. "You're not going to do that. When you leave for good you just can't go without a single notice or leaving a lasting impression on us…your family…me?"

Vegeta stared him coldly in the eyes.

"Actually, son, that's _exactly_ what I hope will happen."

**Tell me if that was confusing. See, I know what's going on because I'm writing the damn thing but I don't really stop to think if a reader knows exactly what's going on :p Any who! Tell if you liked it and if you want me to keep going! 5 more reviews to the next one !!! **


	10. Rehab

**Rehab**

**This chapter might explain a few things… lol **

Something he couldn't figure out was how he could sleep through all the hospital commotion and then wake up in a cold sweat when the sound of a creaking door rang in his ears.

"Sir, you have another visitor," his nurse's high, sweet, monotone voice waltzed in the room but he paid no attention.

Vegeta could hear her whispering to the visitor behind her but he refused to roll over to his other side to see who it was. He shut his eyes tight. Maybe they would leave if he paid no mind.

"Hey Vegeta…" Gohan's soft tone came from the other side of the room.

Surprised, Vegeta quickly turned his head to see if it was really him. Then, with reassurance, Vegeta sat up in his bed with a blank stare.

Gohan chuckled. "Yea, I know, surprised to see me after all this time. I've been really busy with the whole 'father' thing. Sorry, I didn't come to check on you sooner, I just -"

"Why are you here?" Vegeta butted in.

"I…I wanted to see if you were ok…"

"That's not all of it… what do you want?"

Could the fear in his voice really be pinched out that easily? Gohan worried if his poker face might've died when he let his guard down for Pan.

It was no use. "Two things," Gohan admitted.

Gohan hesitated bit for Vegeta's cold stare was unpredictable when it came to reactions.

"Go on…"

"First, your family and some of you friends decided that it might not be a good idea for you to return home quite yet."

Vegeta didn't wince at the least.

"Where will I go after the hospital?"

"Rehabilitation?"

Vegeta scoffed and gave a sarcastic smile to the boy. Why the hell would they think rehabilitation would work on him?

"You can't hide the drug addiction anymore, Vegeta."

Drug addiction? Oh… that's right. They don't know anything about him yet.

Vegeta gave a lighthearted chuckle which made Gohan stare at him like a deranged mental patient. Maybe a little time away was _exactly _what Vegeta needed. This guy was loosing it.

"Gohan…I'm not addicted to you're stupid, fucking Earth drugs. What I was taking wasn't destructive…it was _helping_ me."

Gohan's brow rose at him and before Vegeta went on, his mouth went numb. What was he thinking? Gohan had no idea what he was going through… no one did. And there would be no way to explain it to Gohan, his family, or at the very least, the rehab clerks.

"Never mind…" Vegeta stopped short.

"Right…Vegeta," Gohan tried to sound sympathetic. "They were…_helping _you."

"What was the other thing?" Vegeta tried to change the subject.

Gohan looked up at him like he almost forgot. "Oh, that's right. I have something to ask you that I really hope to keep between us…"

Intrigued, Vegeta found the strength to look at Gohan in the eyes other than his nervous, folded hands. Gohan fumbled through his backpack until he pulled out a familiar looking box.

"Do you remember this?" Gohan asked as he held out the black box with the gold trim. Vegeta delicately opened the sides and revealed the diamond necklace that he cast away so long ago.

"What about it?" Vegeta said nonchalantly. He couldn't let such an emotional item get the best of him.

"Well, I never had the courage to ask you about it…but… when you gave this to Videl; we wondered where it ever came from."

"What do you mean, where did it come from?"

"There was blood on it Vegeta…who knows how old, but it was there."

Was this it? Had Gohan finally caught him? Could he possibly know about his secret…his past?

"Did you steal this?"

Guess not…

"I didn't steal this Gohan…" Vegeta shoved the box right back in Gohan's chest.

"Then where did you get it?" Gohan was beginning to grow impatient.

Maybe just a little hint.

"It belonged to someone very important to me…"

Gohan waited for more.

"…Someone…you will never know about."

Gohan stuffed the box in his pack and shot out of his chair in a furious rage. He said nothing to Vegeta as he stomped towards the door. Vegeta didn't care how frustrated Gohan got. He blankly watched the boy leave his side.

Right as Gohan was about to leave he turned toward Vegeta with a scowl.

"You know why I'm mad, Vegeta," he spat. "Do you _still_ not trust us after all these years? Who are you hiding from? Or at the very least, _what_ are you hiding? It's come to the point where I don't even know who you are anymore! Do you just wake up in the morning and play role for all of us? Because if you are, you're not fooling me! And god knows, you're not fooling yourself… so just… just…. fucking get real!"

Gohan slammed his hand on the door glass and huffed out a pent up ball of rage. Vegeta did not stir from his accusations. He allowed his body to numb. He couldn't allow anything to break through him, and so, he watched the show.

Gohan took another hard look at Vegeta and began to speak calmly again.

"I'm not going to criticize you, Vegeta," he softly spoke. "When you realize that letting your guard down for a while won't kill you, you can come and talk to me."

The sound of the door creaked open which sent a ringing in Vegeta's ears. And before he knew it, Gohan had vanished.

Vegeta rested his head back in the pillows and spread a bittersweet smile.

"So close Gohan…" he whispered to himself. "So close…. And yet…not close enough."

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"Do you know why you're here, Vegeta?" the man's voice was more degrading than anything he'd ever heard before

Shortly after the hospital bed, Vegeta found himself checked in and locked tight in the Rehab quarters. Now, he was sitting in a dark, blank room, facing a lab coat clone with coke-bottle glasses.

His dignity diminished ever Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 pm when Vegeta stepped inside the interrogation room. They told him before he signed up for the place that they would do some "examining" of his mental condition. Hopefully, they would find the root of his problem there.

Not a chance, Vegeta thought every time he sat down in the cold, hard chair.

Vegeta kept his arms folded tight and his eyes wandered away from the man, looking like a stubborn child. It took time to get him to talk about anything. When he did speak, it was just a simple 'yes' to any yes-or-no questions that came his way. He only said what he thought they wanted to hear. The more he played along with their little Earth game, the sooner he could get out of here.

However, when the doctor brought up this question, Vegeta thought about what would happen if he, for once, told them the truth.

"Yes…" he finally answered back.

"Tell me why you're here."

Vegeta took a deep breath. "I'm gonna loose my family…"

"So you know the consequences of your actions now. You see Vegeta, when we address the problem, we can always come up with a solution. We can help you with that solution. Just tell me this, what do you suppose you can do to save yourself from this problem?"

Vegeta looked up at him from the black tile floor with a faint, empty stare. "Nothing…" he answered.

The doctor took his studying away from his clipboard and locked eyes with the Saiyan. He seemed baffled by the response.

The doctor gave a worried smile. "Now, don't think like that, Vegeta. There's a way to get out of any horrible situation. There's always something you can do to bring back the healthy, happy being you used to be."

"No…there's not," he whispered back stubbornly. "There's nothing _I_ can do, there's nothing _you_ can do, nothing anyone on this whole planet can do that can save me now."

Fascinated, the doctor put down his clipboard against the side of his chair and leaned toward him for more information.

"And why is that?" he questioned.

"I'm just telling you what I was told."

"Who told you that?"

"The ones that created the man I am today."

"Created…? You mean your parents? When you were born?"

"No. When I was created… thirty five years ago."

"But you're sixty."

"I know…I'm well aware of my age."

The doctor swiped off his glasses and gave them a good rub from his white shirt. His frustration sweated off of him like rain droplets and the fogging up of his goggles made him almost believe that Vegeta was just a strange illusion. Vegeta gave a smart-ass smirk. He loved the irony of his toying around even though everything that came out of his mouth was the honest truth.

"I'm having trouble understanding you, Vegeta," he said nervously. "How were you created?"

Gaining a good ego, Vegeta sat up strait and smiled. "Listen, you sweaty bastard, _how_ I was created is not important. I don't know how many Saiyans you've met or treated, but the only thing you have to know is that I'm different from all of them. And a huge difference between me and them is that they have all the time in the world where my time in this life is almost up."

Vegeta began to slouch again when he remembered that fateful day. The blaring screen flashing before his eyes sent chills down his spine. The whole rest of his life had already been mapped out and was being carried out at this very moment. There was nothing in this world the clinic could do about it.

"You're quiet again," the doctor spoke softly. "Why don't you tell me why you feel your time is running out?"

Vegeta shut his eyes tight for he feared his whole soul could spill out of him when he spoke these words.

"It's not just _when_ I'm gonna go, its _how_ I'm gonna go. And I'm afraid that I might take my family with me."

This horrified the doctor but he kept his calm and continued the questioning. "And why do you think you'll do such a thing."

He hated going back to the topic, but he had to explain himself. "Because that is what I was created to do."

"Back with this whole 'creation' thing, I know you won't tell me how or who "made" you but at least tell me what their purpose was in the whole thing and how it ties up with your time running out."

Was he really going to tell this complete stranger? The man probably wouldn't take it seriously, so maybe he could enjoy the reaction.

"Well…," Vegeta began calmly. "I am one of the many that was made to help take out the Earth or any other planet that got in the way. Our only purpose is to become stronger. But now that I've gone astray, I have to be destroyed. Before I go, though, I have to spill of the blood of as many as I can."

Vegeta folded his arms, leaned back in his chair and gave a satisfied smirk. The doctor sat in shock of what he heard, but processed the information in his mind as completely insane. Still, he remained completely speechless. Vegeta continued.

"Oh and here's the zinger," he chuckled. "I can't control _any_ of it! I will be physically forced to do so. And this guy over here," Vegeta tilt his head to his right. "He's gonna help my every step of the way."

The doctor looked over to Vegeta's side with wide eyes and a dumbfound look plastered to his face. Finally, he spoke.

"Vegeta…" his voice was shaking. "There's… no one there…"

Vegeta's eyebrows raised and he looked to his right where the doctor was looking.

The only things present in the room were Vegeta, the doctor, and a diminishing shadow.

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Gohan walked through the door of his childhood home and welcomed the warm scent of his past into his lungs. As he stood at the door frame, he waited to take in the feeling before calling out to his mother.

She caught him before he could say anything.

Chichi poked her head out of the kitchen spread a wide smile.

"Gohan! My baby's home!" she squealed and ran to give her son a big hug.

"It's good to be back, mom," Gohan smiled.

They both walked into the kitchen where Bulma was having tea on the table.

"Hey, big guy," she laughed. "Long time, no see!"

"Hey Bulma," he greeted. "Just came to give you all an update."

Chichi was at the stove to grab another cup for him when she gave a worried gasp. "Oh no! I forgot to tell you that your father came back for a visit today! You keep missing him every time he comes back."

Gohan sat himself down and folded his hands anxiously. "Yea, you know, dad hasn't even seen his own granddaughter in a long time. He's always up in that tower training the Majuub kid. I'm getting worried that he'll just end up living there."

"Not if I can help it…" Chichi mumbled under her breath while she poured the hot, broiling water into the cups. She carefully brought the tea over and sat down next to the two and noticed Gohan's awkward posture.

"So… what the news?" she asked her son coolly.

"Oh yea, it's about Vegeta."

Chichi listened in but Bulma barely flinched while she sipped her tea.

He took a deep breath and continued. "I went in to the clinic to see what was up and the doctors acted like he was a taboo patient over there.

"Well, what did they say about him?" Chichi dug for more.

"At first, they thought the guy was crazy! He kept talking about how he was 'created' a long time ago and kept saying how he's 'one of many that was made.'"

"Well, they thought that because it _is_ crazy talk," Bulma scoffed.

"Oh, I know, and they thought it was too. But here's the thing, they went down to the mental hospital to take some x-rays of his brain to see if there was anything dysfunctional about it and they found something alright."

The girls sat wide eyed at him. "And… what was it?" Chichi begged.

Gohan gazed at them with his sincerest face. Looking as surprised as them, he said, "…a computer chip."

Bulma choked on her tea and Chichi's mouth fell open to the table.

"There's more," Gohan went on. "You know that whole 'one of many' thing he was talking about? They don't know what the chip is for but on it… was a serial number."

"Ho…ly…shit," was all his mother could say.

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Sitting on his uniform, boring mattress laid out for him, Vegeta spent the remainder of his night staring at what would seem to be nothing.

"They found you today…" Vegeta said to the air.

A shadow crawled up the canary blue wall and sprang forth into its usual form. Its slithering face gave him an un-phased stare. It was at the very least upset.

"They didn't find _me_," it hissed. "They found my chip. They don't know what the fuck it is and lord knows how long it'll take those dim-witted Earthlings to figure out _that_ technology."

Vegeta's eyes wandered away from him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him that night. Without his medication, Vegeta began to wonder how long it would be until he actually started listening to the things the shadow would whisper.

"They still found it…" Vegeta mumbled.

"I like how you were very upfront about telling them about us," it said sarcastically.

"Like they'll ever figure it out," Vegeta shrugged off. "They think I'm messing with them. They'll never know."

"…Because you won't ever tell them…" The shadow glared

Vegeta looked up at him. He would be ashamed if the smallest gleam of fear could be detected in his eyes but he couldn't look away from the shadow. Vegeta always felt powerless against him.

It hovered closer to him. "Once you get out of here, you're going to have to stop fighting me and start working with me. You have to understand, there's a hard route and an easy route to where you're going but you're still gonna end up in the same destination."

Vegeta looked down at his lap once he felt the cold spear of subjection. The thing would never listen to him, so it was no use to waste his time objecting to it. He was right after all; life became so much easier when he listened to the demon.

"Staring now, we're gonna begin doing things _my_ way."

**Again, if anything is confusing… TELL ME! I haven't taken a single writing class and I don't know shit about story telling. But if you like, I'd love to hear your review:) **


	11. A Reason for Possession

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccckkkk 

My Possession 

"_Once you get out of here, you're going to have to stop fighting me and start working with me."___The reoccurring voice echoed through his mind every moment of each day. Ironically, that was the last Vegeta had heard from _him_ lately. This was never a good sign, however. The shadow appeared every time Vegeta had strayed away.

It must've known that Vegeta would soon make another destructive mistake.

The constant wind beating against him suddenly made a weary change and took a breath from its blow. Vegeta felt his next obstacle in the chill of his veins and stomped on the break as quick as he could.

The car came to a screeching halt.

"Ow! Dad, what are you doing?! You can really hurt someone if you stop like that without warning them first!" Bulla scolded from the passenger seat.

Her voice became a white noise to the rest of his thoughts. Fear began to boil inside him and his heart was beating louder than the crackling engine. The shadow had taken its form, but not in the way that it normally did. For this time, he didn't have to use scare tactics with its presence. It had Gohan.

Gohan stood with an unusual malevolence in his stance atop a windmill. Bulla looked up at him with confusion. Her day of shopping was taking a nasty turn of events. Her father, on the other hand, seemed to be expecting it the moment they started on the road.

Her glazed stare searched for answers while Gohan coldly glared back down at them.

"Gohan? Why is _he_ here?" she asked quietly.

_For me…_ Vegeta answered to himself.

A moment of time went by at the wink of an eye. All of a sudden, he and Gohan, or what was _supposed_ to be Gohan, was all that remained. The choking cough of the engine faded off into the mountains. Bulla was being carried away from the whole ordeal, which soothed his anxieties for the shortest time.

Though a twisting feeling of apprehension tangled his stomach, Vegeta was not expecting anything out of the ordinary. This was a familiar pain. One he had dealt with before. He could do it again, even if the misshaped figure had somehow gotten a hold of his family and friends.

Just then, an unfamiliar inquisition came up from the imposter's lips.

Gohan's mouth slyly curved with cockiness. "How is… you father?"

"What?" Vegeta's eyes grew with bewilderment.

To Vegeta's puzzlement and, at the very least, his relief, this was not the work of the shadow. He knew **exactly** how his father was, unfortunately.

Gohan's tone shifted into a disgusting child-like cackle as the Saiyan body levitated into the air. His stone face and confident stance showed a possible threat, but from Vegeta's stand-point, the whole thing became ridiculous.

Vegeta chuckled under his breath. "Finally, one of the Tuffles returns!" Vegeta said sarcastically. "You almost had me concerned… almost…"

Vegeta's smirk revealed more than his poise. The darkness in his coal eyes hid a tiny sigh of relief once he knew for sure the darkness would not be joining them that night.

The Tuffles and their common misconception of their past was a repetitive joke to Vegeta. "Gohan" rambled of the mistaken history. Saiyans, Oozaru species to be specific, had come down to their planet and destroyed every bit of the Tuffle race, then after, claiming the planet as their own.

All words became a blur until "Gohan" began to mouth off about Vegeta's father. Characterizing him as a 'monster' that was responsible for the whole mess. For a moment, Vegeta felt pity that this small, annoying creature had no clue. His father hadn't been apart of it at all, let alone be on the same planet at the time.

It was the _other_ monster, the scaly, slithering piece of scum that all knew as "Freeza." The disgusting lizard was a minion to the mass responsible for Vegeta's earlier downfall. And yet, no one knew these behind-the-scene details that make up the most important part of the puzzle. In fact, the perfect cover up by calling the Tuffle planet "Vegeta" was an ironic joke among this shroud of darkness.

Should he cut the babbling alien off before ever making a fool out of himself in the eyes of him? No, Vegeta would let the possessed Gohan finish until the fight. Fighting was easier than explaining. The same sentence muted "Gohan's" until the presence of the future threat was no longer relevant: "If only he knew."

A gust of wind brushed upon Vegeta's back. The other one had arrived.

"Hey, Vegeta!" cried Goten. "I've come to the rescue!" The Saiyan landed gracefully onto the plateau with a wide grin.

"Don't butt in, Goten! This is _my_ catch, you here me?" Goten's annoying voice was dubbed down to a whisper. Vegeta was great at putting unwanted presences in the back of his mind.

"Wow, _you're_ in a bad mood today, aren't you?" "Goten" walked over to the edge of the cliff with wide eyes. "Wait, you're not _seriously_ going to fight my brother, are you?"

"Gohan" slithered a sly smirk and narrowed his eyes at the new guest. "So, we're brothers now," he said to himself. "That sounds about right."

A twitch of suspicious ran across Vegeta's spine. With a quick swing of his hand, he lured the young "Goten" away from the sight. "Fly away, boy!" he scolded. Then, the well-anticipated suspicion had finally emerged.

Goten flew up but did not leave the scene. "So THAT'S how it's gonna be!" he grimaced. A blinding light sprang forth from his once bare hands and made its target on Vegeta's back. With no hesitation or a slight trace of surprise, Vegeta swiped the blast away with little effort.

The sparks rose into the night sky and bloomed into a giant blast.

Goten continued. "I told you I was coming to the rescue; sorry if you thought I meant _yours_."

A disgusting chuckle was heard from baby Gohan. "Nice going, brother," he smiled approvingly.

"Thank you," "Goten" sneered back.

"Goten, not you too!" the sudden change of events were starting to overwhelm him.

Looking into the eyes of a former, some-what ally, was the last thing Vegeta remember before a whirlwind of confusion surrounded him. The red and back swirls devoured him in matter of seconds.

While in the heart of the midst, Vegeta began to question his being. Was this real, or a metaphor his mind had created? He could see the outlines and traces of "Gohan" and "Goten" amongst the cyclone of gust. He could also feel the blood dripping down his body crevices with its cold embrace.

He couldn't take the pressure much longer. His body bulged with a vast burst of power. Rays of energy flew out of the tiny cracks that were the only fortunate means of escape.

Between the engulfing sounds or the cyclone, Vegeta began to hear a voice speaking to him; saying the words he had heard way too often.

"_That's it, Vegeta, get angry. Push all of that hatred built up inside you to the surface and reveal my victory!"_

And so, Vegeta did. Of course, it was always the easy way out. While Vegeta pushed his hatred to the top of its peak, he realized his habit of his downfall.

"To hate is easy, to love takes courage." That meant nothing to him before. That is until it actually became physically impossible for Vegeta. This time, it was not the overshadowing demon begging him to hate the ones he cared for, it was Gohan. That is why the shadow did not emerge from its hiding place that night. He knew someone else would do it for him.

So many times the shadow would be at every beck and call, pleading Vegeta to do his worst. "_Smash his head in, Vegeta,"_ it would say. "_Keep you're grip up, good, he's suffocating." _Every time, Vegeta would give in and do it. Why? Because it was always to the easy way out.

Life was hard when he would go against what he was expected to do, especially what he was _created_ to do, what he did _naturally_. Sometimes it became tiring when temptations beat on his back night and day. Every morning Vegeta would wake up with nails in his feet trying to fight the temptation of death and destruction.

There was one time when Vegeta did throw up his hands and give in, but he refused to let that person be the shadow. No, he left his fate in the hands of another man… Babidi.

"Fool! You don't know what humiliation is!" his own voice rang in his head. The memory of beating Goku's face in with all his might danced in his head like a joyful remembrance.

"ME! A WARRIOR ELEITE!" the voice continued. "At my fingertips I had the power to destroy entire worlds! I am a Saiyan of royal blood! The last of my kind! And on my shoulders rests the glory of an extinct warrior race! Whole civilizations once trembled at the sound of my name! But _you_ didn't, _did_ you… you Kakarot?! And at _your_ hands, your COMMON hands, my honor and my pride, the foundation of which I always stood crumbled at my feet! It was at your hands that I first suffered my great humiliation. Toppled by a piece of low-leveled trash! And imagine the disgrace I suffered when the strength I had worked my whole life to acquire was surpassed by a mere child! You're half-breed son succeeded, where I had failed. It is time to take back what is mine! I will not live my life as your second!"

And that was way the hatred of Goku in the rivers of Vegeta's blood was so great. Goku had made Vegeta's only purpose for life so much harder for him.

Years ago, Vegeta was told his options. 'Destroy what we say to destroy… or _be_ destroyed.' That was it; there was no other life for him. Fortunately, they had equipped him perfectly for the job. Being the first made, he WAS the strongest. He WAS elite amongst his kind. At times, Vegeta would think, "_this might not be too bad, if I am the best, I have something to live for… to look forward to."_

And then Goku took that purpose away and claimed it as his own. That was when Vegeta addressed the question if people just lived to take his life away. Did he really have to fuck this life up too? It certainly was humiliating to be a failure wherever he went.

Though the torture of being second best was tough, it was better than trudging through the impossible path of his life before destruction. The life he had similar to his present family with Bulma and Trunks. With the shadow urging him the other way, he was afraid the majority was right. Peace and tenderness was too hard for him.

Vegeta would give in a second time. The best decision would be to pursue a reachable goal, to be the number one instead of number two; even if it meant hurting others.

The tension in Vegeta's body grew to a tremendous amount. At that time, a strange sense of cool ran through his blood. The feeling of a fresh liquid danced around his wounds and covered him, almost making him whole. Vegeta raised his power even more to welcome the parasite.

"_I give up._" Vegeta thought as Baby began to subdue him. "_I'm ready to listen, now."_

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

"It's been years, Shanti," said the Supreme Kai calmly. "Wouldn't you think this guy is dead by now?"

The tree branches whistled in the cool breeze while the Supreme Kai rested himself on the soothing grass. Across from him sat a familiar angel with overcrowding garments still covering the depths of his detail.

"No…" the angel answered after a long thought. "He's there. Though it is faint, I can feel him out there."

The Supreme Kai tried to give a sympathetic smile to his old friend, but there was not much he could agree with.

"But that's your own intuition," he shyly argued. "You have to use reasoning in cases like this. If only you gave out more detail or, best yet, a NAME!"

"I know! I know!" Shanti raised his voice back. "But you have to understand by now that I can't. If word gets out… I'm positive _they_ will find him before _me_."

A haunting chill went over them as the whistling wind came to a strange halt.

The Kai chuckled after the wind kicked up once again. "There's a reason to why I keep asking you."

Shanti's eyes shifted across the terrain and then back to his friend.

"… He could be the man we see every day… and not even know it."


End file.
